The Halifax Banking Company was the first bank in Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...

. Established in 1825, it was unable to obtain a charter from the Nova Scotia Legislative Assembly and operated as a private company. It became incorporated as a chartered bank in 1872 and enjoyed a period of rapid growth and prosperity. The bank was merged with the Canadian Bank of Commerce

Canadian Bank of Commerce

The Canadian Bank of Commerce was a Canadian bank cofounded in 1867 by William McMaster. The Canadian Bank of Commerce opened in Toronto with a charter in 1866 that it purchased from the defunct Bank of Canada, which folded in 1858....

 in 1903.

The banking company was formed by eight prominent citizens of Halifax. They included Martin Gay Black

Martin Gay Black

Martin Gay Black was the son of William Black, who was the founder of the Methodist congregation in Nova Scotia....

, Henry Hezekiah Cogswell

Henry Hezekiah Cogswell

Henry Hezekiah Cogswell was a lawyer, political figure and philanthropist in Nova Scotia. He represented the town of Halifax in the Nova Scotia House of Assembly from 1818 to 1820....

 and Enos Collins

Enos Collins

Enos Collins was a merchant, shipowner, banker and privateer from Nova Scotia, Canada. Upon his death he was acclaimed as the richest man in Canada. He was born to a merchant family in Liverpool, Nova Scotia...

. Cogswell was the first president and later Black served in this position as well.