Some Good News (A Rare Commodity These Days)

     With all of the political-created chaos and disruption flooding out from the US, effecting the whole world, it has become difficult to find anything positive that is happening, but fortunately in our tiny village, we do have some good news:   Integris Credit Union has now opened a branch in McBride.

    McBride’s future looked gloomy in December of 2023 when ScotiaBank (the Bank of Nova Scotia), McBride’s only financial institution, announced it was closing.  It had been the only bank in the Village since 1955.  The news sent a chill throughout the Robson Valley, with everyone wondered how they were going to deal with their finances in the future.   ScotiaBank wanted everyone to stick with them and have to drive 140 miles up to Prince George to do their banking, but I certainly didn’t want to award them after they abandoned us.

    Fortunately, Integris Credit Union, which has multiple branches in the Interior of British Columbia, showed some interest in establishing a branch in McBride, if the community wanted it.  We, along with lots of other residents, immediately joined the credit union, and set up accounts to show our commitment to having a branch in McBride. 

    Because Scotia Bank wanted everyone to stick with them, and move all of our business in Prince George and didn’t want any local competition, they refused to sell their already setup bank building to Integris.  Their old building remains empty.  So Integris then looked around and renovated another building for their McBride branch.

    Yesterday, our new  Integris  Credit Union Branch opened.   We were so happy that it did.  I have been hanging on to a couple of cheques that I needed cashing for months, and was finally able to get some spending money.  I also wrote a cheque from an account in another bank, to add more money to my already substantial account in Integris.  I feel so good about having my money locally, where I can get to it in an emergency.

    Our Integris Branch will be open Wednesday through Friday.  It cost $5 to join the credit union, making you are a stockholder, which enables you to help make decisions.

    I want to thank Integris, for showing confidence in our community.

View my paintings at:  davidmarchant2.ca