Financial Desert

On Thursday afternoons I pick up a copy of The Reader at the Lawrencetown Library.

This week, I was pleased to also find a copy of the current issue of The Grapevine for pick up.

In the Reader there were two articles of interest.

1. On the front page, an announcement by the Valley Credit Union on a Banking Needs Survey meeting, Tuesday, November 14, 6:30 pm at the Bridgetown Fire Hall.
2. In the centre fold, a letter from Carman Kerr, MLA Annapolis County to Krista Pridham, ScotiaBank, Director of Regional Banking, Atlantic Region. Carman notes that with the closure of the Bridgetown and Annapolis Royal branches, ScotiaBank will have no branches in Annapolis County.

While I was pleased to see some reaction in the Reader, there remain several unanswered questions.

1. What is the position of the Municipality of Annapolis County? Are they representing the best interests of the citizens in the County?
2. What about the educational institutions, e.g. Annapolis Valley campus in Middleton and Lawrencetown? Can they remain viable?

This evening, I did go down to the laundromat in Lawrencetown to see if it had a bank machine? NO.

I would challenge our representatives on the municipal council of Annapolis County to host a public meeting on the potential ‘financial desert’ I.e. lack of access to face to face banking services.

I would challenge the students/faculty at COGS to produce a map that shows the potential ‘financial desert’ in Annapolis County, within the context of other Counties in Southwest Nova Scotia (note Scotia Bank closures).i.e. travel distance to nearest bank machine/bank.