Right on the money

Fletcher Quince has revitalized Rossland's historic Bank of Montreal

The inside of the Red Pair Shoe Store, one of the businesses in the renovated Bank of Montreal, is fresh and modern. — Photo courtesy Fletcher Quince

For more than a decade, Rossland's former Bank of Montreal sat empty, gradually becoming more of an eyesore to the downtown. The historic building was attractive but in need of significant renovations—and more importantly, it needed someone with vision for what the building could be if it received some TLC.

That person was Fletcher Quince.

After completing his master's degree at the University of Toronto, Quince was fully qualified for an office-based career in forest fire management. However, as he had previously spent much time on the front lines with fire management crews, a desk job didn't appeal to him. What interested Quince was a hands-on profession, working within the trades.

Though not originally from the Kootenays, Quince had spent a significant amount of time in Nelson at his parents' property during vacations. A fan of outdoor activities such as skiing and biking, he decided to return to Kootenays for good. While staying in Nelson, Quince explored some of the nearby communities and discovered Rossland's Bank of Montreal sitting vacant at the corner of two major intersections. His interest in architecture and the allure of having his personal vision reflected in the building attracted him to the landmark.   

"(My parents and I) only knew of its existence for two weeks before we put in an offer and it was accepted," said Quince.  "We saw it, loved it, walked through it and saw the potential and thought 'We can do this—let’s go for it.' "

High interest

Quince moved into the second floor of the building, transforming a couple of offices into his living quarters. He then set to work networking with the business community, bringing the bank up to code, and learning the many legal aspects that come with being a business proprietor. Fortunately, he quickly found that there were a number of people willing to jump on board—the bank's location in Rossland's downtown core made it an excellent base for businesses new and old.

There are currently seven businesses in the building, ranging from an art gallery to professional office space. Quince said that there were initially some reservations about expensive rental rates, but he found a way to entice business owners.

"The approach we took was to let people come in and start shops for very cheap rental rates if they were willing to bring in some of the capital to do some of the renovations," said Quince. "Because of the nature of the space, you’re looking at 35- to 40-year-old spaces that haven’t been renovated in a very long time."

Quince gave himself a two-year outline for the building. The first year would be used to find tenants and renovate the basement and first floors—something that has been accomplished with aplomb. Next on the docket is to set up a workspace on the third floor for nomadic entrepreneurs—people who work for companies around the world but chose to live in Rossland.

"It’s not so much about promoting myself and my business—it's just a good thing for the community when businesses start up," said Quince. "Things are going well, and it’s given a whole different feeling to the main downtown core and (I've heard) a lot of positive feedback."