Bank Of Canada (BOC)

By
Will Kenton
Full Bio
Will Kenton is an expert on the economy and investing laws and regulations. He previously held senior editorial roles at Investopedia and Kapitall Wire and holds a MA in Economics from The New School for Social Research and Doctor of Philosophy in English literature from NYU.
Learn about our editorial policies
Updated December 24, 2021
Fact checked by
Timothy Li
Timothy Li
Fact checked by Timothy Li
Full Bio
Timothy Li is a consultant, accountant, and finance manager with an MBA from USC and over 15 years of corporate finance experience. Timothy has helped provide CEOs and CFOs with deep-dive analytics, providing beautiful stories behind the numbers, graphs, and financial models.
Learn about our editorial policies

What Is the Bank of Canada (BOC)?

The Bank of Canada (BOC) is Canada's central bank, and was established in 1934 under the Bank of Canada Act. The Act stated that the Bank of Canada was created “to promote the economic and financial welfare of Canada.” The BOC and its Governor are responsible for setting monetary policies, printing money, and determining the Canadian banks' interest rates.

Key Takeaways

  • The Bank of Canada (BOC) is Canada's central bank, and is located in Ottawa, the capital of Canada.
  • As central bank, the BOC oversees the country's monetary policy including setting interest rates and modulating the money supply.
  • The BOC's mandate is to promote economic stability in Canada.

The History of the Bank of Canada

The BOC has four main areas of responsibility: monetary policy, which dictates the supply of money circulating in the Canadian economy; currency, the design and issuing of Canada's bank notes, and managing funds. The BOC manages the Canadian government's public debt and reserves of foreign exchange.

Canada’s former Prime Minister, William Lyon Mackenzie King, officially signed the Bank of Canada Act into law. In 1938, the BOC was legally designated as a federal crown corporation. Prior to the signing the law, Canada’s largest bank, the Bank of Montreal, acted as the government’s banker.

The BOC Governor is responsible for many of the bank’s functions. The first Governor, Graham F. Towers, served for 20 years. The board-of-directors-elected BOC Governor serves seven-year terms. Governor Tiff Macklem has served since 2020 and is the bank’s 10th governor. The members of the board of directors are appointed by Canada's Governor-in-Council and serve for three-year terms.

The BOC and Interest Rates

Setting the interest rate is one of the BOC's most important roles. Canada's monetary policy framework is designed to keep inflation low and stable. The interest rate is decided eight times a year. In 2007, the interest rate was above 4% before being lowered, over time, to 1% in 2010. The rate was cut twice in 2015 to 0.5 percent. Since 2015, this rate has risen three times to 1.25% as of April 2018 and 1.75% as of Jan. 2020. The rate as of Dec. 8, 2021 is 0.25%. This rate is the interest charged when banks lend money to each other. The BOC generally imposes rate cuts to boost the economy.

Other Functions of the BOC

Creating the national currency for Canada is another important task of the BOC. The governor's responsibility is to provide money that is difficult to counterfeit and has an authentication process in place. Canada contracts the printing of money to an outside printing company. The governor’s signature is printed on all Canadian paper money.

The BOC's headquarters are 234 Wellington Street in the city of Ottawa. This is where the bank has operated since 1980 after several relocations. Regional Bank of Canada offices are in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax.

Article Sources
Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.

  1. Bank of Canada. "The Bank's History." Accessed Dec. 24, 2021.

  2. Bank of Canada. "About the Bank." Accessed Dec. 24, 2021.

  3. Bank of Canada. "Graham Towers Bio." Accessed Dec. 24, 2021.

  4. Bank of Canada. "Governance." Accessed Dec. 24, 2021.

  5. Bank of Canada. "Tiff Macklem Bio." Accessed Dec. 24, 2021.

  6. Bank of Canada. "A History of the Key Interest Rate." Accessed Dec. 24, 2021.

  7. Bank of Canada. "Monetary Policy Report-October 2010," Page 3. Accessed Dec. 24, 2021.

  8. Bank of Canada, "Bank of Canada Raises Overnight Rate Target by 1/4 Percentage Point to 4 1/2 per cent." Accessed Dec. 24, 2021.

  9. Bank of Canada. "Bank of Canada Lowers Overnight Rate Target to 1/2 per cent." Accessed Dec. 24, 2021.

  10. Bank of Canada. "Bank of Canada Maintains Overnight Rate Target at 1 3/4 Percent." Accessed Dec. 24, 2021.

  11. Bank of Canada. "Bank of Canada Maintains Overnight Rate Target at 1 1/4 Percent." Accessed Dec. 24, 2021.

  12. Bank of Canada. "Home Page-Policy Interest Rate." Accessed Dec. 24, 2021.

  13. Bank of Canada. "The Bank's Head Office." Accessed Dec. 24, 2021.

Open a New Bank Account
×
The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Investopedia receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where listings appear. Investopedia does not include all offers available in the marketplace.
Sponsor
Name
Description