To the Editor:
Fourteen or 15 years ago my wife and I were staying in an RV park in Osoyoos when we needed the services of a bank. There was no bank in Osoyoos, so we had to go to Oliver as did most of the population of Osoyoos.
Since then we have settled in Keremeos and bank at the CIBC here. Sometime during the 14 years we’ve lived here CIBC opened a branch in Osoyoos.
My theory is that that branch in Osoyoos has not been able to attract enough customers. So, tasked with that problem, the powers that be at CIBC decided to close the century old Keremeos branch and transfer all their customers’ accounts to Osoyoos.
Problem solved? Not a chance!
I believe most of the CIBC customers in Keremeos will not agree to an account transfer to Osoyoos. The saddest part of the plan is the scheduled removal of the ATM with the resulting severe hardship to a large number of local people. Cash is only obtainable from an ATM or a teller, and we are not yet able to become a cashless community.
Ralph Chapple
Keremeos
