The changing face of Laird Drive has prompted speculation about future locations of the Big Five Banks. The arrival of the Royal Bank and Bank of Montreal at the SmartCentre completed the “flock” effect on this street. Most notable as possible banks to move, according to the wisdom of our little parlour game, are the Bank of Nova Scotia, now housed in a small shop at the corner of Eglinton Ave E. and Laird and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce at Laird and MaRae Drive. Reasonable, although not necessarily correct, speculation would suggest one or both of these two might find their way into the new Leaside Village centre down at Laird and Esandar Dr. TD has already moved off the Eglinton-Laird intersection. TD renovated the 1951 historical building at Laird and Vanderhoof Avenue in 2010. Scotiabank might well feel the need to move to larger quarters down the road where the new retail action is located. Incidentally, the old TD branch building sits quietly uninhabited and not for rent on the northwest corner of Eglinton and Laird. Is someone waiting for redevelopment? (Just asking). As for the CIBC, its old branch, dating from the days when the banks built and owned their premises, is sitting in the way of re-making the corner of Laird and Wicksteed. Maybe CIBC doesn’t care about that and maybe the City can’t afford the price.
