WHITEWATER REGION (Beachburg) — The announcement came without warning. The Scotiabank in Beachburg will shutter its doors on June 4 at precisely 11:00 a.m. All accounts would be transferred to Cobden, 18 km away. The community is in shock.
The Lanark and Community Health Services decided to advocate on behalf of the community and take appropriate action. One board member Joey Trimm, also the chair of the Whitewater Bromley Healthier Community Committee, became Chair of an hoc committee SOS (Save our Scotiabank).
He and other board members Bonny Johnson, Gwen Bennett and Faye Bennett gathered up others in this rural town and area from different organizations to help prepare to launch a big fight against Scotiabank to keep their bank. A few others like Delbert O’Brien, Art Jamieson and Dave Shields were added to the list.
The Township of Whitewater Region partnered with the Whitewater Bromley with Chief Administrative Officer Robert Tremblay and Mayor Mike Moore, Reeve Cathy Regier and Councillors Neil Nicholson and Dave MacKay becoming involved as well.
Mr. Trimm said, “our whole community and our SOS committee find this news very disturbing. We are reviewing all options.” He went on to describe how the committee as a whole were communicating with Scotiabank board of directors in Toronto, interviewing residents about their reactions to the bank closure, conducting an on-line poll asking numerous questions relating to the situation and communicating their message by way of Facebook and Twitter. Much work was being done behind the scenes.
Mr. Trimm went on to say, “without a bank, other businesses in Beachburg could be adversely affected. I’m thinking of the pharmacy as an example when people outside of Beachburg combine their banking and shopping in another town. And the very successful Beachburg Fair who use cash only. There are hundreds of out of town visitors, many who rely on an ATM when coming here.”
Even though accounts are being transferred to Cobden or to another location, this extra travelling goes against our purpose of reducing global warming. Also, when considering our aging society and our government making provisions for the elderly to remain in their homes, they are now more inconvenienced.
“These are two examples of the goals of Scotiabank that are directly opposed to the goals of society,” said Mr. Trimm. The bank has already scheduled a Town Hall Meeting for January 22 at the Beachburg Public School – without consultation. The SOS committee feels the time isn’t adequate to prepare and consequently is trying to have it rescheduled to April. There has been no response at this time. “This Friday morning there will be an interview of the SOS held with Kelly Egan of the Ottawa Citizen.”
Even though the Scotiabank is inferring technology is behind the closure, Mr. Trimm maintains: “This bank would not exist if it were not for the support of four or five generations. Even though the Scotiabank is abandoning them, our committee is hoping to turn this little fight into a big one. We stand for all rural communities where financial institutions are leaving us high and dry. Hopefully we can take this issue to the next level and Scotiabank will stand up for us and stop the bullying.”
