From ledgers to legacy: Explore over 200 years of history in the BMO Archives

Since 1817, BMO has helped our clients, communities and colleagues make progress. BMO’s Corporate Archives bring to life the story of Canada’s first bank, founded 50 years before Confederation, and our growth in the U.S., connecting today’s audience with more than 200 years of history. 

Our collection traces the start and evolution of Canadian banking and BMO’s role in Canada’s development, including financing the Lachine Canal and Canadian Pacific Railway, all the way to the bank you know today.  

Preserving over 200 years of BMO history 

Within one generation from our creation, employees began capturing the stories and records from the early beginnings of Canada’s first bank. The collection spans from the first day of the bank’s operation – and continues to be built out by employees today.  

“Archives are a window into the past, allowing us to understand everything that came before us and how it connects to where we are now. We are lucky to have such a rich collection at BMO that connects the evolution of our organization to the communities we serve. We are custodians of this knowledge, ensuring that future generations can connect with, learn from and be inspired by our shared legacy." 

- Shawna Satz, BMO Corporate Archivist 

Today, Shawna works with a team of archivists in Canada and in the U.S. to share past stories and preserve current material that will one day be a part of our history. The team collects, catalogues and rehouses historical documents and artifacts in climate-controlled vaults in Montreal and Illinois, until they're needed for research or display.  

BMO Archives storage facility in Montreal, Quebec 

Making the collection available to you

The collection includes historical ledgers, photographs, early advertisements from the 20th century, artifacts and digital records that document more than 200 years of banking history. Over the past five years, the Corporate Archives team has been making our collection more accessible to the public, writing and sharing stories on the BMO Heritage website. 

By making our history and parts of our collection publicly available, we have been able to share our heritage with employees and communities around the world – and helped move historical research forward. This has led to some interesting external requests over the years.  

In 2025, the Archives was contacted by the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) Casualty Identification Program and the Department of National Defence (DND), who were working to identify a previously unknown First World War grave in the Adanac Military Cemetery in Miraumont, France. Through developments in DNA testing, they were able to identify the body as belonging to Captain William Webster Wilson, a BMO employee who had enlisted. With the help of the digitized Human Resources (HR) ledgers on our website, the CAF was able to help bring Captain Wilson’s story to life.

Check out our exhibits at the BMO Museum 

We opened the doors to the BMO Museum in Montreal in 1963, and each year we welcome more than 33,000 visitors to share the story of Canada’s first bank.  

You’ll find exhibits about the development of Canada and Canadian banking and get a chance to walk through the historic banking hall, which is still operating as a branch today. Next time your work or travel brings you to Montreal, stop by 129 St Jacques to brush up on your history!  The museum is free of charge, and open Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

Until then, you can take your own virtual tour through the BMO Museum and visit the BMO Heritage site to learn more about our past.