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Full circle brings Carrie Cole back to where it all began

After a career spanning three decades in banking, fashion and fine wine, Carrie Cole returns to the Scotiabank branch to once again serve her customers in Old Ottawa East.

 

DIANNE WING

Sometimes it feels like life’s a circle, that somehow we return to where we started. For Carrie Cole there is some truth to this sentiment. 

Cole’s story began in Sturgeon Falls where she grew up, a small community 500 kilometres north-east of Ottawa. She left to study  business at Algonquin College in Ottawa in the early 1990’s. Ottawa has been her home ever since.

Cole landed her first job at the Scotiabank branch location in Old Ottawa East. As she puts it, “her first round of duty ran from August 1994 to 1998” when she transferred to the downtown branch and worked in Securities.  She ran the gold desk and sold this fluctuating commodity.  Many clients came from the South Asian community where it is customary to give an ounce of gold as a wedding gift. Before long, she found herself working in Public Relations with the Scotia Private Client Group, and with the Ottawa Senators in particular.

Cole’s natural warmth and ability to connect with people was recognized by head office in Toronto. At that time, Scotiabank held naming rights to the Senators’ hockey arena. It was the heady days when Alfredsson was captain and, along with Spezza, Heatley and Emery, took the team to the Stanley Cup Final. Cole’s job was to ensure that private wealth clients were taken care of. That could mean organizing travel to Senators games or attending special events with clients at places like the Canadian War Museum, and the National Gallery. It was a tough job, but someone had to do it! Her kindness and warmth have always been well-received by private wealth clients at that time or regular bank customers in our local Scotiabank branch.

Cole left Scotiabank in 2014. She was happy to have time with her parents.  Her late father, Ivan Joseph Cole, was a natural storyteller, a talent that she has inherited. She is pleased that her mother and sister now reside in Ottawa. During her hiatus from Scotiabank, she also explored other interests. Her love of fashion took her to Nordstrom for a brief stint where she sold high-end designer clothing. Her appreciation of fine wine next took her to  the LCBO where she hosted wine tastings in the Vintages section.

But her time at Scotiabank Old Ottawa East made perhaps the biggest impact on her life.  Her bubbly charm captivated acclaimed jazz singer Dick Maloney. He was well-known for his popular radio show, Sentimental Journey, on Oldies 1310. It took patience and persistence but eventually Maloney won her heart and her hand. Four years of acquaintance, four years dating and four years of marriage. It was a fairy tale romance cut short by a tragic fall in 2006 that began Maloney’s four-year battle with quadriplegia. Maloney had a connection to Old Ottawa East as well. He was born at 95 Main Street and his father owned and operated Rosedale Furniture which was located where Dixie Dairy is today.

While the armed robbery at our community’s Scotiabank branch last October was big news in the neighbourhood, it wasn’t the first time this branch has been robbed.  Cole wryly remembers experiencing two robberies at the bank just two weeks apart back in the mid-90s. Aside from these dramatic incidents, Cole has always enjoyed her time at the bank. She couldn’t resist returning in 2023 when she was approached to rejoin the staff.

Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving. You see the starting point with a new perspective and appreciation. She recalls Scotiabank customers from those days with affection, and she is delighted to reconnect with many after 25 years away from the branch.