DAWSON CITY – It might not seem obvious that a lot of work and money have been invested in the Old CIBC Building in Dawson since the town purchased it for $170,000 back in 2013.

However, the original 1901 structure, which was designated a National Historic Site in 1988, has undergone some changes, and will see some more in the next few months.

Council has spent several years dealing with all the hazardous materials in the building (asbestos, lead and UFFI insulation), and repairing a leaky roof.

Council has now voted to proceed with more of the exterior work in the coming months, focusing on issuing RFDs for five projects.

There is a need for some foundation and drainage work, as well as exterior wall cladding and further roof repair.

The building is going to need new doors and windows, which will have to be both of a high standard and historically sympathetic.

There are a number of decorative items that need to be installed to match what the Parks Canada website describes as the “grand architectural style” of the building.

It served as the Canadian Bank of Commerce, and then the CIBC from 1901 until 1989, when the bank moved to its current location in the Dawson Plaza complex.

There are 21 corbels to be restored or replaced.

These are defined as “a type of bracket that juts out where the wall meets the ceiling. Its purpose is to carry any supplemental weight that the wall may not be able to support on its own.”

In addition, there are 11 roof finials, “a decorative ornament found on top of a building’s roof, spire, gable or canopy”.

The original finials were lost for a time after having been sent Outside for repair when the company doing the work went bankrupt, but have been recovered.

Another firm has been approached to do the work for repairing or replacing both elements. It is expected that this will cost $36,000.

There was some discussion about restoring the north and west side exterior stairways that used to access the second floor.

There is no interior stairwell, and installing one would take up a lot of the useable space on the main floor.

Eventually there will need to be metal siding replaced on the building to mimic the way the original wooden building was encased so that it would look like stone.

In addition, it was announced in 2019 that the finished exterior would eventually be repainted a sort of slate grey (to mimic the look of stone) as it was originally, instead of the golden yellow which most residents would remember. That is still evident on the paint peeling away from the metal cladding.

One thing that has yet to be determined is the eventual uses to which the building may be put.

There was a proposal at one time to put apartments on the second floor and use their revenue to help defray the upkeep costs.

Various possibilities have been mentioned for the main floor. Only one thing remains certain at this point: the CIBC has no interest in moving back into its old home.