Sun Life Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sun Life Building |
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French: Édifice Sun Life
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| General information | |
| Type | Office |
| Architectural style | Neo-classical |
| Address | 1155, rue Metcalfe Montreal, Quebec H3B 2V6 |
| Coordinates | 45°30′0.75″N 73°34′12.81″W / 45.5002083°N 73.5702250°W |
| Construction started | 1913 |
| Completed | 1931 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 122 m (400 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 24 |
| Lifts/elevators | 25 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Darling, Pearson and Cleveland Le Groupe Arcop |
The Sun Life Building (also known as French: Édifice Sun Life) is a very old and important office building in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It stands tall at 122 meters (about 400 feet) and has 24 floors. You can find it on Metcalfe Street in the heart of downtown Montreal, near Dorchester Square.
This building was finished in 1931 after being built in three main parts. It was made just for the Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada. When it was completed, it was the largest building in the entire British Empire based on its total floor space. Even though another building, the Royal Bank of Canada's head office, was taller, the Sun Life Building had more room inside.
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Building the Sun Life Building
The Sun Life Building was constructed in different stages over many years. The first part started way back in 1913. The main 24-story tower, which you see today, was finally added in 1931. This completed the entire project.
Construction Stages
The building was put together step-by-step:
- 1913–1918: The first part, a 7-story base on the south side, was built.
- 1923–1926: The base was made bigger, stretching towards the east and north.
- 1929–1931: The tall 16-story tower was added on top, completing the building.
Today, the Sun Life Building is the 17th tallest building in Montreal. It is still a major landmark in the central business district around Dorchester Square. Other taller buildings like Place Ville Marie and the CIBC Tower are now nearby.
The First Sun Life Building
Before the current large building, there was an earlier Sun Life Building. It was designed by an architect named Richard A. Waite from Buffalo, New York. This first building was built in 1889. It was later made bigger by another architect, Robert Findlay, in 1890. This older building was made of red brick and was home to Sun Life until 1913. That's when the company moved into the first part of their new, much larger building.
Operation Fish: A Secret Mission
During the Second World War, a very secret plan called "Operation Fish" took place. Britain needed to keep its valuable gold and foreign money safe. These treasures were secretly packed into crates labeled 'Fish'. They were then shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to Canada.
Hidden in the Vault
On July 1, 1940, the crates arrived in Halifax. The money and important papers were then brought to Montreal. They were locked away in a super-secret underground vault. This vault was three stories deep, right beneath the Sun Life Building. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police guarded it all the time, day and night. The gold itself was sent on to Ottawa.
Paying for the War
A very secret group, called the United Kingdom Security Deposit, worked in this vault. Over the next few years, they quietly sold Britain's valuable papers on the New York Stock Exchange. This money helped Britain pay for its war efforts. What's amazing is that the 5,000 people who worked in the Sun Life Building every day never knew what was hidden beneath their feet! Nothing from the vault ever went missing, and no one ever leaked the secret.
