The Branch of Montreal's regional vice-president cancelled a Jan. 22 meeting in the community of 100 Mile House.
The meeting, set to take place at BMO's 100 Mile House Branch, was intended to answer the questions of customers impacted by BMO's announcement last month they will be closing the 100 Mile House Branch by June of 2025. BMO 100 Mile House has been in operation for 50 years and this move came as a surprise to both customers and local politicians.
BMO did not provide a reason for the cancellation and did not reschedule the meeting as of the publication of this article. The 100 Mile House Free Press reached out to BMO for comment but did not receive a response before press time. A notice posted in the 100 Mile House BMO Branch now encourages anyone with questions to talk to the branch team or call 250-395-7403.
While BMO's regional vice-president may have pulled out of the meeting, some customers still intend to meet at the branch on Jan. 22 to discuss the closure. This includes Guy Wilton who said the meeting will begin at 11 a.m. Wilton said he has invited both District of 100 Mile House Mayor Maureen Pinkney and Kamloops-Thompson-Cariboo MP Frank Caputo to the meeting to hear how this closure is impacting current and former customers of BMO.
"Despite annual profits in the billions of dollars, one of Canada’s major chartered banks has announced it is closing a branch that has served its B.C. community for more than a half-century, forcing customers to drive an hour in each direction to bank at the next nearest location," Wilton said. "The Bank of Montreal’s 100 Mile House branch will close its doors for good on June 27, after 53 years in operation."
Wilton said he feels that BMO's lack of transparency on why this decision has been made is a "slap in the face" to its customers. He noted that in his view this decision will have a larger impact on 100 Mile House than it will on BMO's bottom line.
The customer reaction to this decision, Wilton said, has been swift and negative. He knows of many who have withdrawn their entire savings and moved to one of 100 Mile House's other banks. Filton pointed out that many of BMO's 100 Mile House customers are pensioners and have limited ability to travel to the Williams Lake BMO Branch and are not inclined to switch to online banking.
"Despite BMO’s indifference, a meeting will still be held at the 100 Mile branch starting at 11 a.m. on Jan 22," Wilton said. "Attendance is expected to be high, as customers hope for a last-minute reprieve from a decision that defies explanation."