It was the answer Frank Nemcek and much of Alvinston didn’t want to hear.
The Brooke-Alvinston councillor, at the end of a public meeting on the closure of the Bank of Montreal, stood up and asked if the bank would indeed close – despite the concerns of the community.
The answer was yes.
BMO started sending out letters in November to customers explaining the branch on Alvinston’s main street would be shuttered May 17, 2019 and the new home branch for local business and residents would be in Watford.
The move angered Nemcek and members of council, particularly since the downtown area has seen growth in the last four years. Four new businesses, including a restaurant and pharmacy, have opened in the last few years, bringing life to the core.
About 80 people met with BMO officials Monday night at the Brooke-Alvinston-Inwood Community Centre.