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Canada's economic life is dominated by five large national banks. The physical headquarters for four of those banks are located at the intersection of King and Bay. The fifth bank is located one block south. The Bank of Montreal complex also includes the Toronto Stock Exchange, Canada's largest stock exchange.

The legal headquarters of three of the banks are located elsewhere in Canada — in Montreal, Quebec and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The banks all operate under federal charters and their location is controlled by the federal Minister of Finance. It would cause a major political furor if the federal government allowed the banks to transfer the official headquarters and their attached jobs from the Maritimes, the poorest and one of the economically underdeveloped regions of Canada, or QuebecQuebec ( In Detail) ( In Detail) National Motto: Je me souviens (I remember CapitalLargest city Quebec City Montreal Area Total % fresh water 2nd largest(1st lgst prov. 1 542 056 km² 11,5% Population Total (2004) Density Ranked 2nd 7 509 928 5,43/km² Admi, because of its separatist politics, to much-hated Toronto. However, everyone in Canada understands where the decisions get made.

Because of the presence of the banks and the stock exchange, the area is home to numerous corporate headquarters, high-powered legal firms, insurance companies and stock brokers. In turn, the presence of so many decision-makers has brought in advertising agencies and marketing companies. The banks have built large office towers, much of whose space is leased to these companies. The bank towers, and much else in Toronto's core, are connected by a system of underground walkways, known as PATH, which is lined with retail establishments making the area one of the most important shopping districts in Toronto. Note that the stores are only open during weekdays when the financial district is populated. During the weekend, the walkways remain open but the area is deserted and the stores are closed.

It is estimated that 100,000 commuters enter and leave the financial district each working day. Transportation links are centred on Toronto's Union Station at the south end of the financial district. Union Station is the hub of the GO TransitGO Train on the Richmond Hill line GO Transit is Canada's first, and Ontario's only, interregional public transit system, established to link Toronto with the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). GO carries 44 million passengers a year i system that provides rail and bus links to Toronto's suburbs. It is also a station on the subwayThis page refers to urban rail mass transit systems. For other uses see metro (disambiguation metro in Athens, Greece double as museums with displays of antiquities found in excavations of its tunnels in the historic city. A Metro is a form of mass transi system.

See also: List of Bay Street law firmsToronto's Bay Street is home to Canada's financial industry and also its top law firms. These are the firms that handle most of Canada's major business transactions and which attract many of the best lawyers. The firms also have close links to politics an