History

The present Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue began as a Toronto Dominion Bank. Designed by architect W. Marbury Summerville, the branch opened in 1920. It became the British Columbia head office of the bank in 1955, but the branch closed in 1984 and the building remained vacant for several years. In 1987 an architectural charette organized to explore ways to save the building, and its restoration became a cause célèbre in Vancouver.

In 1988, Allied Holdings bought the building, with plans to construct a hotel on the site, but in 1989, Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre opened, and Dr. Jack Blaney of the university began to imagine other uses for the historic bank building. In 1993, Allied Holdings agreed to move its hotel to the centre of the block and to donate the old TD building to SFU as an international conference centre. The City of Vancouver gave the building a Class A heritage designation.

In July of 1997, Scott Construction began the renovation, which included the preservation of the exterior limestone, terra-cotta cornice and Edwardian coffered ceiling, as well as seismic upgrading and new interior construction. That same year, the federal government contributed four million dollars as its legacy for Canada’s Year of Asia Pacific, and the magnificent central dialogue hall was named Asia Pacific Hall.

When Vancouver philanthropist Morris J Wosk donated three million dollars to the centre in 1999, the university named the centre for him in grateful recognition of his generosity.

The Morris J Wosk Centre for Dialogue was officially opened in September 2000 by Lt. Governor Garde Gardom. Since opening, the Centre has hosted thousands of local, national and international gatherings.