Toronto General Trusts

The Toronto General Trusts Company was incorporated by charter in 1872.[1] The founders of the company were John Gordon, Arthur R. McMaster, John Turner, William Thomson, James Michie, John Shedden, William Mortimer Clark, John C. Fitch, James Scott, and William Maclean of Toronto; Aemilius Irving and Joseph Price of Hamilton; and George D. Ferguson of Fergus. Although incorporated in 1872, it did not begin operating until 10 March 1882. The company's first President was Edward Blake, and its Vice-Presidents were Edmund Allen Meredith and John Hoskin.

In 1899 the Toronto General Trusts Company merged with the Trusts Corporation of Ontario. The new firm was called the Toronto General Trusts Corporation. By 1904 Toronto General Trusts acquired the Winnipeg General Trusts Company and the Ottawa Trust and Deposit Company.

In 1909 the company built a new head office building at 243 Bay Street, a seven-storey building that was designed by George Martel Miller. In 1969 it was demolished to make way for the new Commerce Court West.

Toronto General Trusts had buildings in several other Canadian cities. These included:

• Vancouver – 590 West Pender Street, James Anderson Benzie, 1920 (demolished)
• Calgary – 315 8 Avenue SW, Charles Edward Langley, 1930 (demolished)
• Montreal – 350 Notre-Dame Street West, L. A. and P. C. Amos, 1947

In 1961 Toronto General Trusts merged with the Canada Permanent Trust Company, which had been founded in 1913. The new company was called the Canada Permanent Toronto General Trust Company. Two years later the company removed "Toronto General" from its name and became the Canada Permanent Trust Company. In 1981 Canada Permanent was acquired by the Genstar Development Company. Genstar then purchased the Canada Trust Company in 1985, and in 1986 merged Canada Permanent into Canada Trust. Soon after, Genstar sold Canada Trust to Imasco. In 2000 the Toronto-Dominion Bank purchased Canada Trust and renamed it TD Canada Trust.