Dominion Securities was established in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on the 18th of March, 1901 as Dominion Securities Corporation Limited. Its founders, Senator George Albertus Cox and Edward Rogers Wood, were both well known Canadian business figures at the time, having previously formed the National Trust Company together in 1898. The firm originally focused on the underwriting and new issue of government and municipal bonds but diversified into war bonds during World War I and into equity securities in later years. At the time of incorporation, DS was located at 26 King Street East in Toronto.