The Banque Canadienne Nationale (; ) was a Canadian bank that existed from 1873 to 1979. The bank was founded in Montreal in 1873 as the Banque d'Hochelaga and began operations the following year. In 1924, the bank renamed itself the Banque Canadienne Nationale after it took over the Banque nationale. In 1979, it merged with the Provincial Bank of Canada to form the National Bank of Canada.
History
In 1859, several prominent Quebecers founded the Banque Nationale in Quebec City as a banking institution controlled by French-speaking businessmen.Jean-Marie Lebel. Le Vieux-Québec: guide du promeneur. Les éditions du Septentrion; 1997. . p. 72–.
In 1924, the Banque Nationale, which was struggling financially while caught-up in a serious recession,Legacy: How French Canadians Shaped North America. McClelland & Stewart; 8 November 2016. . p. 86–. merged with the Banque d'Hochelaga (founded in Montreal in 1874) to create the Banque Canadienne Nationale (BCN, Canadian National Bank).Québec, 1900-2000: le siècle d'une capitale. Éditions MultiMondes; 2000. . p. 79–. The Quebec provincial government, under Alexandre Taschereau, issued $15 million in bonds to facilitate the merger.Les grands débats parlementaires, 1792-1992. Presses Université Laval; 1994. . p. 292–.
Like the other Canadian chartered banks, BCN issued its own paper currency until the Bank of Canada Act of 1934 created the Bank of Canada and it relinquished this right.
In 1968, Banque Canadienne Nationale was one of the four original banks to form CHARGEX Ltd. through a licence from BankAmericard, providing Canada with its first interbank credit card.Sean Hickey. Confessions of an International Banker. Trafford Publishing; 8 March 2013. . p. 46–.
In 1979, Banque Canadienne Nationale and the Provincial Bank of Canada (Banque provinciale du Canada), another Quebec-based bank, joined to form the National Bank of Canada.Canada Since 1945: Power, Politics, and Provincialism. University of Toronto Press; 1989. . p. 299–.
Leadership
President
Louis Tourville, 1874–1878 François-Xavier Saint-Charles, 1878–1900 Jean-Damien Rolland, 1900–1912 Janvier-Arthur Vaillancourt, 1912–1928 Frédéric-Liguori Béique, 1928–1933 Joseph-Marcellin Wilson, 1933–1934 Jean-Baptiste-Beaudry Leman, 1934–1947 Charles-Edouard Gravel, 1947–1950 Charles St-Pierre, 1950–1960 Ulric Roberge, 1960–1964 Louis Hébert, 1964–1974 Germain Perreault, 1974–1979
Chairman of the Board
Wilfrid Gagnon, 20 January 1961 – 10 June 1963 François-Philippe Brais, 1964–1968 Louis Hébert, 1968–1978 Germain Perreault, 1978–1979
See also List of Canadian banks 500 Place D'Armes
References
Banque canadienne nationale, 1874-1974: cent ans d'histoire. Banque Canadienne Nationale; 1974.