The
Toronto-based Traders Bank was strongly rooted in rural
Ontario. In 1891 its inspector, Aemilius Jarvis, developed
an ingenious cast-metal savings bank modelled after
the bank's head office. The savings bank was left at
farm homes where savers deposited coins in slots along
its roofline. Compartments inside could be designated
for specific savings purposes. Once a month, bank officials
visited the farm to unlock the roof and "deposit" the
savings.
Traders
Bank calendar, 1907
Promotional calendars have traditionally been distributed to bank clients. Often featuring work by renowned Canadian artists that has had little to do with banking per se, the calendars nevertheless managed to convey useful banking information. A reflection of its times, the calendar above promoted savings accounts. Although one of the few bank products then available, savings accounts were not widely held by the general public in the early part of the century. The Traders Bank of Canada opened a branch at Owen Sound in 1903.
