The 1960’s were formative years in the construction and real estate development industry for Peter Wall, who established cement, dry wall, and lumber businesses – all of which supported his ambition to build quality homes all over the Lower Mainland. Hi passion for raising capital and building a better city was shared by his cousin, Peter Redekop. Wall & Redekop Corporation Ltd. was incorporated on July 31, 1962.

In the early days, Wall and Redekop owned and operated a variety of businesses that included Atlas Construction, Mavis Securities, Chester Securities, Munroe Lumber and Sperling Lumber. The business focused on building single family homes and apartment buildings throughout the lower mainland, but they also owned successful farming operations in Clearbrook, B.C. that at one point in time supplied ten percent of the province's egg consumption.

On January 31, 1969, Wall & Redekop Corporation Ltd. was officially established as a public company through the statutory amalgamation of Atlas Construction, Mavis Securities, Chester Securities, Munroe Lumber, and Sperling Lumber. With Peter Wall as its Chairman and Peter Redekop as President, Wall & Redekop Corporation would go on to become one of the largest integrated real estate companies in B.C. On May 8 of that year, the Company was listed on the Vancouver Stock Exchange with an initial share capital of 3,000,000 shares. The initial offering of 3,000,000 shares at $4.00 valued the company at $12,000,000

In 1967, Peter Wall bought the Shannon Estate, a 19th century Beaux-Art mansion built on a ten-acre piece of land in Kerrisdale. The mansion was purchased from Jack Bentley, President of the Vancouver Teachers Pension Fund, who had purchased the estate from the Austin C. Taylor family.

When it was originally purchased, the property was in a state of neglect and disrepair. Peter immediately engaged internationally renowned architect, Arthur Erickson, to create plans to restore and preserve the mansion and historic estate while also adding in a new, contemporary West Coast aesthetic. Unfortunately, Peter’s plans to revitalize the property were met with significant opposition by members of the public and City Council alike. 

Unafraid to push forward, Peter was quoted saying, “a gamble was not to be missed, and this was certainly a beautiful gamble.” Aided by the efforts of Douglas Mck. Brown, a prominent lawyer at that time and known for his victory in representing B.C. Electric vs. the Government of British Columbia, Wall was successful in having Shannon Estate rezoned for redevelopment.

The first phase of the development, Shannon Mews, was completed in 1974 and marked a major milestone for Wall and Redekop. Comprising of 161 apartments and townhomes, this phase was a successful first step in Peter’s vision for the property to unite the historical with the modern.

Peter Wall Shannon Estates was redeveloped in 2018, and has since been recognized for its significant contributions to Vancouver’s cultural preservation with the City’s Heritage Award. The redevelopment was also awarded the Masonry Award for its heritage perimeter wall preservation and exemplary brickwork throughout the estate.

In 1967 the corporation began constructing and acquiring hi-rise concrete apartment projects in the belief that such structures would show the greatest capital appreciation. Most notably of these properties is Peter Wall Ambleside in West Vancouver. A disruptive cement strike took place during the construction of Peter Wall Ambleside, which forced Wall Financial to devise their very own cement operation that was located directly on site. This 185-suite hi-rise apartment was completed in 1971 for a total cost of $3,000,000.

In 1973, Wall & Redekop Corporation was listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange in an effort to increase interest in the Company among investors in Eastern Canada. The following year, the lumber and construction supplies division were consolidated and rebranded as “Wood King,” which went on to become a trusted supplier of construction supplies throughout the Lower Mainland.

In 1988, shareholders approved the Company’s name change from Wall & Redekop Corporation to Wall Financial Corporation. This name change and record earnings marked the Company’s success and celebration of its 20th Anniversary.

In 1991, Peter Wall donated 6.5 million shares in Wall Financial Corporation to establish the Peter Wall Institute of Advanced Studies with a clear goal to “generate ideas, research and initiatives that wouldn’t otherwise happen." Originally valued at $15 million, It is the largest private donation in UBC’s history.

Following the purchase of the lands in 1989, the official ground-breaking ceremony was held in 1991 and attended by some of Vancouver’s and Canada’s most important and influential people. The undertaking of the construction itself was immense and was the largest construction project in Vancouver at the time, involving more than one million hours of local employment; it was also the deepest excavation in Vancouver at 75 feet. Phase 1 construction was completed in 1993 and the property originally opened under the name “Wall Centre Garden Hotel.” Phase 2 began just two years later in 1996, and is one of the most controversial yet successful developments in the history of Vancouver. Today, the hotel offers 746 guest rooms, 74 luxury residential units, and 29 timeshare units with an additional 55,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

In 2001, upon completion of the North Tower and the Hotel’s grand opening, the One Wall Tower received international acclaim as the winner of the Emporis Award for the “World’s Skyscraper of the Year.” The One Wall Centre won the award by a margin of 297 votes over the runner-up, Donald Trump’s Millennium Point Tower in New York City. This type of recognition for the architectural innovation and beauty of the One Wall Centre was an extraordinary accomplishment and still is to this day, being the only Canadian skyscraper to ever receive this recognition.

Wall Financials’ focus on adding quality revenue generating properties to the Company portfolio saw the completion of the Westin Wall Centre in Richmond in 2010. The hotel offers 185 guest rooms and 232 condominium units across 2 towers, with an additional 7,500 sq.ft. of meeting space.

One of the Company’s newest and most renowned revenue properties was constructed in 2018. Peter Wall Yaletown is a 273-suite luxury apartment building that received overnight success and attention due to the Yaletown allure.