A History of Downtown
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Ken Guedo-
Imagine being on the second floor of the Arts Centre (Old City Hall) and looking West towards the bridge. This is what you would you see in 1912.The new Imperial Bank has been built to replace the old bank on the corner of 10th street and 1st Avenue West. Immediately behind it is the Masonic Temple building, which contains the office of George Will, realtor and financial agent.
On the North side of 10th street is what most of us remember as the CB store building. At the time it housed the McLeod-Hamelin Deptartment store.The main floor is presently occupied by the Gospel Outreach Centre with rental suites upstairs. West of it is the Aaron Block, which would have a variety of businesses housed in it over the years. It would eventually house CKBI radio, then also CKBI TV when it arrived. It presently houses CTV Prince Albert and some apartments on the upper floors (which are not in use anymore). At the west end of the block is the National Hotel, which is still operating.
The Imperial Bank merged with the Commerce Bank and this building was demolished in the mid 1960's when the new bank was built on 12th street and Central Avenue.The Historical Museum on River Street has one of the front doors with original signage. Ironically, the original Imperial bank building still stands at the SE corner of 10th street and 1st Avenue West, sporting a fresh coat of paint. The Masonic Temple building, along with all the other buildings between 10th and 11th streets on Central, were demolished to make way for the Forest Centre.
