Volume 2 - ElectricCanadian.com

100 HISTORY OF THE BANKsite was erected in 1818 and served as the first place of publicworship of the Wesleyan Methodists in Toronto. It wasa low wooden building, thirty by forty feet, running northand south and placed a little way back from King Street. 1The first service was held in it on March 5, 1818, by the Rev.David Gulp, and it was later the home of the first Sundayschoolin Toronto. It continued to be used as a Methodistchapel until 1833, at which date the members of the congregationnumbered 264. The building was afterwards for a timeused as a theatre, under the name of "Theatre Royal."Another change in the management of the bank was alsoimpending. On October 12, 1886, Mr. W. N. Anderson, thegeneral manager, tendered his resignation, which was acceptedwith expressions of regret from various members of the Board.Subsequently he became Deputy Provincial Treasurer ofOntario, and held this office until his retirement in 1905.His successor as general manager was Mr. Byron EdmundWalker, to whom reference has already been made. Mr.Walker was appointed general manager on October 12, 1886,and a month later Mr. J. H. Plummer, assistant general managerof the Merchants Bank of Canada, who had resigned fromthe service of The Canadian Bank of Commerce some yearspreviously, was reappointed to the staffas assistant generalmanager.Mr. Walker's appointment as general manager marksthe beginning of a career which culminated in his electionto the presidency of the bank in 1907, and which has causedhim to be recognized in public life as one of the most eminentof Canadians. Not only has he long been known as one ofthe chief exponents of Canadian opinion on the subjectsof banking and finance, but his activities in behalf of highereducation, music and the fine arts have become equallyfamiliar. The standing he acquired in the opinion of hisfellow-bankers was shown as early as 1887 bychairman of the meeting of Toronto bankers called to considerSee plate IS, facing page 98.his election as