The Bank of British North America was founded by royal charter issued in 1836 in London, England.

By 1899, the bank had branches in London, Brantford, Hamilton, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, Midland, Quebec City, Saint John, N.B., Brandon, Winnipeg, Fredericton, Halifax, Victoria, Vancouver, Rossland, Kaslo, Trail, Ashcroft, Greenwood, Atlin, Bennett, B.C., and Dawson City.

On the Registry of Historical Places of Canada are the former Bank of British North America in Dawson, Yukon (1899)[4] and Winnipeg, Manitoba (1903–04).

The former Bank of British North America in St. John's, Newfoundland, built in 1849 is on the Registry of Historical Places of Canada.

[8] This bank building was constructed in 1849, after the St. John's fire of 1846, by Halifax architect David Stirling.