- Business
- Laurentian Bank of Canada (Laurentian Bank) operates as a Schedule 1 commercial bank focused on personal banking, commercial banking, business-to-business dealer services, securities brokerage, capital markets, and mutual funds; it offers retail products including bank accounts, credit cards, loans, mortgages, term deposits, guaranteed investment certificates, current accounts, corporate Visa credit cards, and online banking services through LBCDirect, alongside commercial services such as commercial real estate lending, inventory and equipment financing via its Northpoint Commercial Finance subsidiary, fixed income trading as a primary dealer with the Bank of Canada, institutional services, and specialized investment products. Founded in 1846 as the Montreal City and District Savings Bank and headquartered at 1360 Rene-Levesque Boulevard West in Montreal, Quebec, the bank primarily serves customers in Quebec with additional commercial operations across Canada, including Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Nova Scotia, and extends equipment financing into the United States. In December 2025, Laurentian Bank announces a transformative C$1.9 billion all-cash acquisition by Fairstone Bank of Canada, which will combine and expand its commercial lending operations including real estate, inventory, and equipment financing while retaining the Laurentian brand, head office, and leadership under President and CEO Éric Provost; concurrently, National Bank of Canada agrees to acquire its retail, small-to-medium enterprise banking, and approximately C$0.9 billion syndicated loan portfolios, accelerating the bank's 2024 Strategic Plan shift to a specialty commercial banking focus and exiting retail operations pending regulatory and shareholder approvals.