Did you know? Fun financial facts for Canada’s 150th

Posted: June 27, 2017
Posted in: Breaking News, Current Issue

Did you know…

The Toronto Stock Exchange is older than Canada?

Officially founded in 1861, with 18 stocks available for trading, the TSX has grown into one of North America’s oldest and largest stock exchanges. Today, the TSX has over 2,200 listings with a market capitalization of approximately $2.3 trillion, making it the ninth largest stock exchange in the world. (Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia, http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/toronto-stock-exchange/)

The TSX is a leader in innovation?

Over the course of its history, the TSX has pushed the envelope to reinvent the business of trading worldwide. Among its cutting-edge innovations:

• The first exchange to introduce decimal trading (switching from fractions in the late 1990s)
• The first exchange to have a female president, Barbara G. Stymiest (1999)
• The first exchange to introduce computer-assisted trading (1977)
• The largest North American stock exchange to move to a completely electronic trading environment (1997)
  (Source: The Canadian Encyclopedia, http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/toronto-stock-exchange/)

The Canadian Bankers Association is almost as old as Canada?
Founded in 1891, the CBA celebrated its 125^th anniversary in 2016 and is one of Canada’s oldest financial associations.
(Source: Canadian Bankers Association, http://www.cba.ca/cba-anniversary-quiz)

What was the first coin minted in Canada?
Governor General Earl Grey struck a 50-cent piece in 1908, making it the first coin ever minted in the (then) Dominion of Canada, followed by a humble penny.
(Source: Bank of Montreal’s Canadian Financial IQ Quiz, http://yourfinanciallife.bmo.com/articles/financial-quiz-550065/#.WVJadIjyuUk)

Wishing you a safe and happy Canada Day, from all of us at the Knowledge Bureau!