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Grand Manan Island's only bank closes for good

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The only bank branch on a New Brunswick island closed for good Wednesday.

The Bank of Nova Scotia, or Scotiabank, notified customers of its plans to leave Grand Manan in January.  

The bank’s two automated banking machines were to be removed from the branch by 8 a.m. Wednesday. The branch itself was set to be open for an hour Wednesday morning, closing at 11 a.m.

Gregg Russell, a village councillor, says he doesn’t know why the bank was only scheduled to be open for an hour on Wednesday.

“It makes about as much sense as everything else Scotiabank has done to Grand Manan,” he says.

Russell says a couple dozen vehicles were at the branch on Tuesday for its final full day.

Grand Manan residents held rallies both on and off the island in an attempt to change Scotiabank’s decision, citing concerns from convenience to public safety.

In a statement late Tuesday, Scotiabank said it made a donation towards the creation of a “digital café” on Grand Manan, to support those who may have challenges with online banking.

Previous statements from the bank say the decision came from a review of customer numbers in market areas along with an assessment of how customers are doing banking.

Scotiabank wouldn’t share those specific details for Grand Manan, repeatedly stating its decision to leave Grand Manan as final.

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