The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will move to airy new premises in Leaside village, Laird Drive and Esander Drive. The bank will move from the venerable old brick building at 180 Laird (at McRae) a building that dates from the 30s. It is apparently going to be put up for sale. Some months ago we speculated that CIBC might be trying to find its way out of the old building. It sits on land which, if the City buys it, will permit a much better traffic flow at the corner. The new branch is announced to open on Monday, August 27, 2012, and work is going on furiously, as it is everywhere in Leaside Village.
An interesting bit of history is found over the door of the CIBC branch at 180 Laird Drive at McRae. It’s the coat of arms of the bank that built and owned the branch, the Imperial Bank of Canada. The Imperial merged with the Canadian Bank of Commerce in 1960. Dating apparently from the 30s, the well-preserved lion rampant on the crown continues to look fresh as it graces the little branch. Both the Imperial and the Commerce were very old when they merged. They were both founded in Toronto in the 1870s. The branch at 180 Laird is of interest now as CIBC intends to move to a new branch in Leaside Village. Will they take the coat of arms with them?
The upgrade of parking meters throughout the City isn’t showing much in the way of an improvement on Bayview Ave. Although technicians have been spotted quite a few times fiddling with the meters it is still not possible to get them to accept the new loonie or toonie. Sometimes the coins just fall through. More recently the meters block coin insertion with a display to check the sign for regulations. Sure. Not much of a return on the $25,000 it’s supposedly costing to fix each machine according to some reports. Can this be right? Meantime, you had better bring your credit card to Bayview Ave. because the tickets are still being chain-written on our high street. For those who need it, the meters make a great place to leave your empty coke cup (right). 
