Two men reading

All savings great and small

Photograph of a young bank customer making a deposit at the first school children’s wicket, Regina, Saskatchewan, c. 1952.

As part of our mission to help customers and communities make real financial progress, Bank of Montreal launched school children’s wickets in 1952. They were the first of their kind in Canada. In addition to instilling healthy financial habits, the initiative was intended to help school-aged children save for a much-coveted item, whether it be a bike or a record player. The wickets, known as “kiddie counters,” were outfitted with lower and smaller counters where the bank’s junior customers could conveniently make transactions on Fridays at the end of the school day.

A pair of passbooks intended for use at the school children’s wicket, c.1960.

Upon opening their savings accounts, the young customers received passbooks especially designed for them in which they could record their financial progress. The brightly coloured passbooks, paired with whimsical illustrations and playful nursery rhymes on the front covers, were certainly a step-up from piggy banks.