Some business owners and senior citizens will be looking for a new downtown bank come July 7, as the RBC at the corner of Main and Ferguson closes.
"This decision was made after careful consideration of how we can best serve the North Bay community," Charlotte Wallis, Regional Vice President told BayToday.
"Quite simply, keeping the Main Street branch open is not sustainable as less and less people are coming into the branch to do their banking. Meanwhile, the northern part of the city has been growing, and with it the need for banking services. Consolidating our Main Street branch into the Airport and Stockdale Branch will ensure we are serving the North Bay community when and where its residents need us."
See: Loss of Royal Bank will leave big hole in downtown
Effective July 7, the Main Street branch will merge into the Airport and Stockdale branch located at 925 Stockdale Rd.
"We recognize that this may cause some inconvenience to our clients and employees but want to assure them that we will work with them to manage this consolidation seamlessly. For seniors specifically, we are reaching out to Marina Point Retirement Residence to setup workshops to assist residents with alternative banking methods," explained Wallis.
"We know seniors to be surprisingly savvy when it comes to technology, with their biggest influencers being their grandchildren who are teaching them to Skype, text and e-transfer. So we’re excited to continue educating these clients about our online and mobile offerings. And since access to cash is important to them, we will be keeping the ATM on-site for as long as we own the building."
Employees at the Main Street branch will be moving to Stockdale branch.
"We will continue to maintain an active presence in North Bay. In addition to our branch at 925 Stockdale Rd, mobile banking, online and telephone banking and ATMs, clients will continue to be served by mobile experts including Financial Planners, Investment & Retirement Planners, Mortgage Specialists, Commercial bankers and Small Business advisors who will meet with them where most convenient, such as at their homes, at the office or in a branch."
