When it was completed in 1912, it was called the World Building and was the tallest building in Vancouver at 82 m (269 ft), surpassing the previous record-holder, the Dominion Building located just around the corner. (According to the heritage plaque, upon completion it was also the tallest in the British Empire.) For one year, it was the tallest building in Canada, until Toronto’s 85 metre Canadian Pacific Building opened in 1913.