By Nigel Maxwell

POLL:CIBC announces withdrawal date from Birch Hills

Aug 25, 2015 | 6:57 AM

The CIBC branch in Birch Hills has been a staple of the community for nearly 100 years.

On Jan. 22, 2016, the branch will close and all accounts will be moved to Prince Albert.

“It was a very difficult decision because we don’t take decisions to close a branch lightly,” said Geoff Dillon, CIBC’s Vice President of Communications.

He said in the case of Birch Hills, business volumes were low and had been declining in recent years.

Birch Hills Mayor Shirley Ulvild said it is a sad day for the community, as the bank was one of the first to open in the small community.

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“It’s not a good atmosphere because the people that are coming in are losing their bank and for the staff members it’s the last thing they want to happen,” she said.

Dillon said CIBC will be working over the next few months to transition the employees into other jobs within the company.

A community meeting has been scheduled for Sept. 9.  Community members will have a chance to ask questions and air their concerns.

Ulvild said she is most concerned with how local seniors will deal with the closure of their bank.

 “You know they can still go from their homes and go up to the bank easily and now to go to the city will make a big difference for them,” she said.

CIBC is hoping to make the transition process as smooth as possible for customers.

Dillon said there is nothing for the customers to do, all the account information will be automatically transferred to Prince Albert.

“Of course a lot of our clients are banking other ways and are not banking at the branch anymore. They’re banking through digital channels, through online, there’s no change for those clients,” he said.

The CIBC branch officially opened as a full branch in Birch Hills on April 25, 1917.

The public meeting on Sept. 9, will take place at the Birch Hills Civic Centre from 7 p.m. to 9p.m.

nmaxwell@panow.com

Follow on Twitter: @nigelmaxwell