Canadian Bank of Commerce

In 1866 a group of businessmen, including William McMaster, purchased a charter from the defunct Bank of Canada, which had folded in 1858.

[1][failed verification] The Canadian Bank of Commerce was founded the following year, issued stock, and opened its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario.

[2] By the beginning of World War II, this had expanded to 379 branches,[4] including a large building by Darling and Pearson in Winnipeg, Manitoba, built in 1910 in beaux-arts classic style.

In 1931, the Toronto headquarters of the bank, designed by architects John Pearson and Frank Darling, was completed.

[7] Once again, during World War II, 2,300 staff members enlisted in the armed forces.

From 1867 to 1890 the bank was headquartered at 59 Yonge Street. This was the 1852 Ross, Mitchell & Co. Building, designed by William Thomas .
The bank's 1890 head office, designed by Richard Alfred Waite . It was demolished in 1928 to make way for the bank's new headquarters.
This Bank of Commerce building in Toronto was the head office from 1930 to 1961. Overhead is the R-100 airship.
Commerce Tower in Montreal, designed by Peter Dickinson , was begun for the Bank of Commerce but was not completed until after the merger with the Imperial Bank.