Editing Sinclair Stevens (section)

==Early career==
In 1958, his first development, The Cardiff, was under way. That was followed up with several other development projects.<ref>McQueen, p34.</ref>

In 1962, he formed York Trust and Savings Co. Former Bank of Canada Governor [[James Elliott Coyne|James Coyne]] became chairman in 1963. Stevens had interests in several other small trust companies. Unusually for the time, his branches were located in working-class areas and [[Loblaws]] stores, featuring extended service hours. York Trust grew at four times the rate of other trust companies.<ref>McQueen,  pp36-38.</ref>

By 1964 Stevens controlled 23 companies with assets of $130 million, having started in 1961 with just $215,000.<ref>McQueen, p41.</ref>

From 1963 to 1967 Stevens, was embroiled in an attempt to form the first new Canadian chartered bank in 50 years, Westbank. That caused resentment in several quarters. Westerners saw it as yet another eastern-controlled firm, Conservatives were put off by the association with Coyne, and the feathers of the establishment banks were ruffled. The affair led to a falling-out with Coyne and later with businessman Marc Bienvenu.<ref>McQueen, p40, 44, 45.</ref> [[John Diefenbaker]] reportedly "loathed" Stevens over the issue.<ref>Sawatsky, p292.</ref>