My nephew from the States is visiting, finally. After two years of restrictive COVID-19 border rules, the rules have relaxed. To celebrate his visit, we went prowling about East London.
A clock above the entrance of a boarded up building aroused our curiosity. Actually, it was the coat of
arms surrounding the clock that caught our attention. We took a picture. On getting home we discovered the elegant building was
originally a branch of the Bank of Toronto. Hence, the City of Toronto coat of
arms above the entrance.
The London building is not alone in sporting this adornment. Another former Bank of Toronto branch, this one in downtown Brockville, also has a similar decoration.
Over the years the City of
Toronto coat of arms had gone through a number of changes. These last remaining bank
versions predate most of the changes and for that reason are
reportedly very close to the original vision for the coat of arms.
It's odd to think that the best examples of the original City of Toronto coat of arms
are found on former bank buildings scattered about the province. And now, unappreciated, they are in danger of being lost.
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