The mayor of Grand Bank says Canada’s big banks are doing whatever they wish, a lesson he learned in unsuccessfully fighting to maintain Scotiabank’s 114-year presence in the town.

The local Scotiabank branch closes its doors today, but it’s not because of a lack of effort by the local town council to have the bank change its plans.

Mayor Rex Matthews says it will cause a lot of disruption for local residents and businesses.

“One thing I’ve learned through this whole process is that the big banks in Canada, they answer to absolutely no-one. They do as they please, when they please, and there are absolutely no consequences. I went through this whole process from the top to the bottom, and they have absolutely no respect for our communities and our people. It’s all about the profits.”

He understands that many services are now readily available online, however, some basic services should have been maintained.

He believes the bank has a responsibility, not just in Grand Bank, but other communities as well, to have some level of minimum basic service. “They haven’t done that, they’ve done absolutely nothing, and no-one cares, it’s as simple as that.”