Saying Good Bye to the Institute for Learning (IFL)

 “Saying Good Bye to the Institute for Learning (IFL)” by Joan Mesic, Senior Correspondent

If you haven’t heard the sad news it is true, BMO has decided to close the IFL which is located in Markham, Ontario next June, 2024 and is building a new learning centre in downtown Toronto near the Eaton Centre on Dundas Street. What we know is that the land the IFL is situated on is being rezoned and the bank is taking advantage of this opportunity to sell it. We can speculate as to why this turn of events is happening. It could be due to the cost factor of running the Institute. Also the speed of technology over the last two decades, even the last 5 years has changed the landscape for businesses and that includes learning. What was state-of-the art a few years ago, even days ago, is outdated today. The interventions and tools we use to learn are in a state of continual metamorphosis. Just think about the pandemic and how it has changed the way people work and interact - virtual, from home or wherever, with the help of technology. How many of us have ‘zoomed’ too much lately?
To commemorate the magnificent IFL structure and the forward thinking of the bank to invest in building it, we thought it would be timely to revisit some history about its beginnings and the architect who built it.
In 1990, Matthew William Barrett was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the bank. When he was CEO in 1989 he had an idea that he wanted to do something big for the staff as well as reinforce the culture of the bank. His vision was to build a learning centre for the employees. He even thought of using some of the artifacts in the bank’s archives to display them to reinforce the bank’s long history. After further research was done and the concept crystallized, work began to implement his vision. A $40-million investment was made to build the structure to help employees learn and actualize their potential in the bank and thus enable the bank to succeed in a competitive international arena in the future. As Matt Barrett said in the bank’s Press Release, dated October 1, 1991, “First and foremost, it is about people. It is a reaffirmation that to be among the best banks in North America, Bank of Montreal must have the best employees in the business.” The construction of the learning centre began on January 1992.
We have included 3 articles from the BMO archives: BMO’s “Press Release - October 1, 1991”; “Changing the Way We Learn - 2010” brochure; “First Bank News - The Doors Swing Open - 1994”, which our archive contacts have graciously provided to us. (The links can be found at the end of this article.)
When I read these articles it brought back many memories of my time as a Project Manager, Corporate Training when I was brought in to assess the course offerings in the Management and General Business curriculum with the purpose of making revisions where necessary to reflect the bank’s vision, values and the Corporate Strategic Plan. The Training department at that time was located at 55 Bloor Street West, Toronto. I remember the tremendous excitement in the department and the bank when the news broke. It galvanized the staff to perform at their best and refreshed our pride to be BMO employees working for a financial institution supportive of its employees and future success. There was lots of talk about the $40-million dollar investment. How exactly would the bank measure the success of its ROI? Such a large amount of money and many external unforeseen variables that might be out of the bank’s control. There was lots of hype as well as lots of questions.
Many of you will remember the renowned architect, Raymond Moriyama (1929 - 2023) who was hired to build the IFL. He was able to grasp Matt Barrett’s vision of the learning centre and then turned it into an architectural masterpiece. Moriyama became an architectural visionary and his passion, ideas and futuristic thinking helped to change the culture and face of Canadian architecture in the 1970s. The following is a peek into his childhood which will give you a sense of his character and the period he was born in.
Raymond Moriyama was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and came from a humble background during a difficult period in Canadian history. A time when Japanese Canadians were treated as enemies of Canada. WWII started in Europe in 1939. When Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, the Americans entered WWII. Canada participated in WWII until it ended in 1945. The Canadian government invoked the War Measures Act (1) as Japanese Canadians were perceived as spies. The Act gave the government the power to round-up Japanese Canadians indiscriminately and ship them to internment camps. Most Japanese Canadians at that time lived in British Columbia. Approximately, 90% of the Japanese Canadians were interned. For 4 long years approximately 22,000 Japanese Canadians were forced to survive in internment camps. Many families were torn apart. After the war thousands were forced to return to Japan and many of them had never been in Japan during their entire lives. Raymond in some ways was fortunate as he stayed with his mom and dad in an internment camp. When he was a very young child, he had an accident which happened in his family’s small, cramped kitchen. A little toy aeroplane that he had built flew over his mom’s stove and caught fire. While Raymond was trying to retrieve it perched on a stool, he lost his balance and the hot, boiling soup on the stove spilt over his arm and upper back. His burns were severe and debilitating as he couldn’t move parts of his body. It took eight months for him to recover. During his recovery, while bedridden, he would watch the construction of a building from his window to pass the time. He became intrigued with the process and in particular with the person who looked like he was in-charge of the construction work. Later, he learnt that this person was called an architect and he decided then and there that that is what he was going to be when he grew up. Children will often declare that they want to be an astronaut, doctor, teacher, nurse, truck driver, or whatever when they are young. What is so amazing about Raymond at 4-and-a-half, he was emphatic about becoming an architect and actually pursued his childhood aspiration through his life and education and achieved it.
His story is truly one of vision, determination and freedom and instead of being spiteful of Canada and how he and other Japanese Canadians were disgracefully treated, he used his knowledge and skills to contribute and build a better Canada. Some reports indicated that he was a key player in the transformation of Canada from a colonial country into a multicultural country. Through his studies and beliefs, democracy, inclusion and social justice were integral in his architecture. How could he build something if he did not understand the psychology of man and his culture? How could he positively make change without this knowledge? I listened to his narration of his life events which gave me a glimpse into his determination to continuously learn, his open-mindedness, his bravery, tenacity and creativity which propelled him to achieve his dream to become an architect. (If you are interested and would like to find out more about Raymond Moriyama, go to: ”magical imperfection the life and architecture of moriyama” on your devices.)
Mr. Moriyama through his perseverance did become an architect and designed and built many of the buildings which were contemporary and futuristic at the time, e.g., the Ontario Science Centre, Scarborough Civic Centre and Toronto Public Library to name a few. As previously mentioned, he was the architect of the IFL. He designed the IFL to change the banking culture. The metaphor he used for the IFL was that the bow and arrow would represent the parent and the arrows its offsprings. The architecture is contemporary and the glass bow which everybody strains their necks to look up at and gasp in disbelief (especially on their visit to the IFL), brings the outside inside. The metaphor for me represents harmony and respect between people and the eco-system.
The IFL as many of you will attest to is an amazing place to learn, reflect and grow personally and professionally. It is sad that we will be saying good-bye to it. It was built at a time that brilliantly distinguished BMO among other financial institutions and businesses for its heavy investment in its employees, customers and the bank’s future.
We know keeping ourselves challenged physically, intellectually and socially are essential activities to help maintain quality of life. Learning is never-ending.
We would like to give a ‘shout out’ to our members to send us their memories or short stories of experiences attending courses, town halls, social events, etc., at the IFL. Please send them to us at: cyberpensioner@gmail.com
We look forward to your tales of how you experienced the IFL.
Joan Mesic, Senior Correspondent