The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that the outlook for some of Canada's independent investment banks is bleak. The Globe's Tim Kiladze writes in the Streetwise column that the Big Six banks are building ever stronger relationships with clients that once gave the independents a lot more work than they currently do. Corporate loans are not that attractive to the banks, rather they serve as a foot in the door. Once the agreements are signed, investment bankers at the Big Six lenders work to parlay the relationships into something much more profitable, like underwriting a share offering. Since January, Canada has seen some of its largest energy bought deals since the financial crisis, and yet the independents' share of their proceeds remains small. Critics of the Big Six banks should petition the Competition Bureau to intervene. Back in the boom times, independents were happy when banks focused on lending to established companies because that allowed them to service junior resource clients that the Big Six had never even heard of. Rather than hope for governmental intervention, The Globe says independents are better off rethinking their business strategies.