1855
Bank of Toronto launches, opens first office at 78 Church Street a year later with a staff of three.
1869
Dominion Bank formed by Toronto entrepreneurs, opens on King Street two years later.
1900
Branded merchandise begins appearing including calendars, booklets and blotters, often depicting all the monarchs who reigned during the bank’s tenure.
1905
To mark its first half-century, Canadian Yesterdays book is given to all bank customers.
1913
Bank of Toronto opens new head office at King and Bay Streets; Dominion Bank follows suit at King and Yonge a year later.
1915
Post-World War I ad: ‘The war has taught us the importance of preparedness. Sickness may overtake you without warning. Are you prepared? Open a savings account today.’ Another: ‘Businessmen receive an accurate, prompt service supplemented by the facilities informed by our wide connections and modern equipment.’
1920s
Bank of Toronto advertises that its vaults are: ‘Built like a dreadnought [and] guarded day and night 365 days a year.’
1930s
During the Great Depression, a typical Bank of Toronto ad read: ‘Get the utmost benefit from your butter, egg or poultry money; place it in a savings account.’
1945
PR efforts at Dominion Bank include an employee manual entitled Tact, which instructs that: ‘Nothing sells itself. No matter how good, how great a bargain, how great a necessity your goods may be, something more is needed.’
1955-56
In the Bank of Toronto’s centennial year and the Dominion Bank’s 87th year, the two banks pull off Canada’s biggest merger of financial institutions ever and become the Toronto-Dominion Bank. Accompanying PR campaign focuses on customer service with such taglines as: ‘The best in banking service.’
1950s
TD print ads feature female tellers, billing them as ‘the nicest girls in banking.’ Branded merchandise expands to include coasters, key chains, sewing kits, golf tees and, later, a green and white ‘TD bear’ Tagline: ‘This bank is the bank that looks ahead.’
1959
‘The bank where people make the difference’ slogan is coined, becoming official in 1961 and enduring until 1993, when it’s replaced by ‘Your Bank. Your Way.’
1967
‘On-Line Savings’ system is introduced.
1968
Revolutionary Toronto-Dominion Centre complex, designed by Mies van der Rohe, opens as the tallest building in Canada, transforming TD’s conservative image.
1969
Green shield logo is introduced and first TV and radio advertising begins to promote new range of products.
1970
Visa card (originally called Chargex) arrives along with TD’s first marketing of mutual funds.
1970s
New subsidiaries are launched in the UK, US and Middle East, with TD becoming the first Canadian bank to make a substantial investment in commercial banking in Hong Kong.
1976
Canada Trust rocks the Canadian banking world by opening on Saturdays and introducing its now-famous 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. hous of service.
1977
First full-service ATM, dubbed the ‘Green Machine,’ appears.
1980s
Now active in major commercial real estate developments, TD helps finance mega-projects including the Toronto Eaton Centre, Vancouver’s Pacific Centre and Calgary’s Toronto Dominion Square.
1984
Thanks to financial sector deregulation, TD moves into discount brokerage, introducing Green Line Investor Services, which evolves into TD Evergreen full-service brokerage.
I989
TD Securities is established to provide corporate, treasury and investment banking services to corporate clients.
1991
TD acquires assets of a major trust company, Central Guaranty Trust, and launches TD Bank and Trust.
1996
TD acquires Waterhouse Investor Services Inc., more than doubling its size as a discount broker, and launches TD Waterhouse. Leading the way in e-banking, it creates a Web site and launches TD Access: PC, North America’s first fully integrated banking and brokerage PC package. Two years later, Web Access and international e-banking services are introduced.
1999
Canada Trust introduces the green armchair to symbolize its commitment to making customers feel at ease. Tagline, still in use today by TD Canada Trust: ‘Banking can be this comfortable.’
1999
Once again, TD stages the largest merger of financial institutions in Canadian history by purchasing Canada Trust.
2003
TD buys 57 Laurentian retail branches in Ontario and western Canada.
2004
TD begins purchase of controlling interest in Banknorth Group, establishing a beachhead in the northeastern U.S. and launching TD Banknorth.
2005
Online pioneer Ameritrade Holding Corp.’s purchase of TD Waterhouse USA produces the third-largest discount brokerage in the world and the biggest in daily trade. Although TD Ameritrade is the U.S. name, the TD Waterhouse name is to remain in Canada and the U.K.
