By Spencer Sterritt

Birch Hills residents express concerns on upcoming CIBC branch closure

Sep 10, 2015 | 6:16 AM

Birch Hills residents got fired up as they fought for their local CIBC branch on Wednesday evening.

They met with CIBC representatives George Price and Craig Becker to air their grievances about the closing branch, and suggest alternatives.

The most pressing concerns were:

• Complications with transferring accounts
• Accessibility and safety of the CIBC branch in Prince Albert
• Lack of ATM in Birch Hills to replace the closing branch

Anyone with an existing account at the Birch Hills CIBC does not need to worry about their accounts. Automatic deposits and withdrawals will not be affected by the move. Existing cheques will be honoured.

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If residents already bank in Prince Albert and Birch Hills, and have duplicate accounts, CIBC will pinpoint those accounts and deal with them directly.

Price said that while CIBC was sympathetic to their concerns “increasing lower client visits” were the cause of the closure. According to him CIBC had already postponed the decision to close the branch as long as they could, but the location was no longer feasible.

 “We appreciate the business brought to us, but the volumes do not justify the ongoing branch,” he said. He also reiterated several times that CIBC was focused on making the transition “as seamless and easy as possible.

“We’ve had mergers before and they have gone smoothly. If there is any issue we will deal with it quickly.”

Many Birch Hills residents didn’t believe him.

The safety of the Prince Albert branch was a major concern.

Retired RCMP officer John Keyuk said “I know exactly what sort of customers I see on the street out there…my former customers. You got panhandlers in front, you got people in the…parking lot drinking and carrying on. It’s not a great environment.”

Birch Hills also has a substantial senior population, calling into question the convenience and travel that will be required to reach the new bank.

“Here it was real good for our seniors,” said retiree Bud McRury. “I can’t get in, I can’t drive. Us seniors can’t get in to pay our bills.

“How are handicapped people in wheelchairs supposed to get there?” he continued.

Price acknowledged that they don’t want to lose clients, but they understand people are going to do what’s best for themselves and may switch to alternatives.

The lack of an ATM was a sore spot that came up often during the meeting. For business owners and managers like Laurie Berube, the recreation director for Birch Hills, travelling into Prince Albert for banking isn’t feasible.

“Our business is here, not in PA,” she said. “We have to do daily deposits…so that means I have to pay someone extra to go do deposits every day. There has been talk about moving, and this is probably the nail in the coffin.”

Keyuk suggested CIBC use a convenience store or gas station in town for the ATM, but did not get a firm answer.

“I’ll be straight with you,” Price replied. “We do not have a plan to put an ATM in town.” By the end of the meeting he did admit that he was going to take it under consideration.

CIBC has 67 branches in Saskatchewan. Price and Becker declined to elaborate on how many other branches are facing mergers.

The Birch Hills CIBC branch will close January 22.

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Twitter:@princealbertnow