The warden of the Municipality of the District of Guysborough says there are concerns for the future of a local financial institution.
Vernon Pitts says he’s not hearing good things about what may be happening with their Royal Bank branch.
Councillors passed a motion to have RBC reps update them on their plans at June’s regular municipal council meeting Wednesday afternoon.
After, Pitts said they want to put the rumours of permanently reduced hours or a closure to rest.
“If you want to install a panic and dissension in a population, close the banks (so) that they can’t get their money,” he said. “That is the wrong signal to be sending, and I think we have to keep the lines of communication clear and open.”
Pitts said the bank closed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic; it eventually re-opened two days a week.
He said that was enough to send people away to do their banking, and spend their money elsewhere.
“They’ll head to Antigonish or Port Hawkesbury, deposit or cash their senior citizen’s pension, (and) they’ll go and they’ll pick up their drugs (and) their groceries,” he said. “They’re not spending their money in the municipality.”
Pitts said it’s more important than ever to support local business, and it’s hard to do that when people are leaving to do their banking.
Officials with RBC have not responded to a request for comment.
