The Imperial Bank of Canada
Stamford Centre's first bank was located on the northeast corner of Five corners. In 1919, the Imperial Bank of Canada opened a branch office in a house which had previously been owned by the Stevenson (also spelled Stephenson) Family. W.T. Carthew was the bank manager. The bank remained in that location for five or six years until it moved to its new location on the triangular-shaped land between Portage and Drummond Roads.
A daring robbery took place at that bank on June 3rd, 1947. A 32 year old man from Toronto held up the bank. He bound and gagged the employees. Harry Duguid made away with $19,450.00. He was captured in St. Catharines by Constable Wilkins of the Stamford Township Police.
The bank remained at that location until 1980 although the name was changed in 1961 to The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. After the closure of the bank, Five Corners Pizzeria took over the building and operated in that location from 1982 until 1989. Hakim Optical moved into the building in 1993 is still at that location (2020).
Imperial Bank of Canada located on the triangular land between Portage Road and Drummond Road “Five Corners”
Hakim Optical, 1999