Robert Findlay

Who was Robert Findlay?

Robert Findlay was a Canadian architect. He was born in Inverness, Scotland, and moved to Montreal in 1885. He won the competition for the first Sun Life Building, and was the architect for the project, which he began in 1890. The Sun Life company left this building for its current location in 1913.

Findlay cultivated an extensive practice, working in later years with his son, Frank. He designed several mansions in the Golden Square Mile and a number of other large private houses in Westmount, including Westmount City Hall. Among his private clients he included four of the Molson family; Robert Wilson Reford; F.E. Meredith; Charles Meredith; J.K.L. Ross; Sir Edward Beatty; Charles Francis Smithers; A.A. Bronfman and Sir Mortimer Davis.

Many of the Golden Square Mile homes he designed were later purchased by McGill University, including the Sir Mortimer Davis House. He also designed the Calvary Congregational Church in Westmount, located at the intersection of Greene Street and Dorchester Boulevard; demolished in 1961.