Many Teulon residents feel that the pending closure of the town’s TD Bank branch just doesn’t add up.
They had the chance to voice their opinions and ask questions at a recent meeting at Centennial Hall about the upcoming closure of the Teulon branch. The local branch will close its doors on Friday, July 25 at 3 p.m. to merge with the Selkirk TD branch.
Michael Warren, TD’s Manitoba north district vice-president, told the crowd of nearly 100 people that the decision to close the Teulon branch was not easy. He encouraged attendees to ask questions about the branch closure and the transition to offer services at the Stonewall and Selkirk branches.
Nicole Beaton, TD’s vice-president and region head for Manitoba, Saskatchewan and northern Ontario, emphasized that the decision to close the Teulon branch will not change and was based on several factors.
“We’re seeing a decline in traffic; we’re seeing a decline in transactions — and, ultimately, we’ve seen this decline over the last few years. Our Selkirk branch has been identified as the preferred location as a high percentage of customers are already transacting at that branch,” she said.
“With this in mind, as we have additional considerations like operating costs and the service that we have in branches nearby, we made the decision to close this full-serve location. We know this is hard to hear and we’re focused on supporting you and supporting the community in serving our customers in a number of different ways.”
For in-person transactions, Beaton recommended visiting the Stonewall or Selkirk branches, where many of the Teulon staff members will also be working.
Tribune Photos by Jennifer McFee
“You have our branches nearby in Selkirk and in Stonewall, both of which have the same or longer hours with parking and additional services for personal and business customers. We’re confident that we will be able to continue to provide a great experience in those locations,” she said.
“Colleagues who are currently working in the Teulon location will be transitioning to roles in some of these locations, so they will be there to welcome you as familiar faces.”
She added that TD’s community involvement would also continue, so Teulon residents can continue to reach out to the company to request sponsorship or involvement in local events.
An attendee asked why the Teulon branch was recently upgraded if it’s closing, and Beaton said that market reviews are conducted on an annual basis.
“We consistently look at the branches and when we made those decisions to keep up the branch appearance, it wasn’t with the intent that we were going to close. But we would have maintained the standards of our TD brand in those locations, even with the closure that’s coming,” she said.
“It wasn’t a decision that we made lightly to close the branch. We wanted to maintain the standards for our customers while it was there.”
For TD clients who are not confident to try telephone banking or online banking, Warren suggested that they reach out for assistance.
“We’re here to help you work through some of our solutions. Our No. 1 goal is to help you transition. We are working on trying to keep the ATM machine here in Teulon. We’re looking at some possible solutions,” he said.
“We haven’t confirmed yet because we’re still working on what that looks like, but our goal is to try to have an ATM machine here. Our goal is to try to help you get more comfortable with some of the alternatives.”
Based on community feedback, Beaton said TD is also looking into the possibility of donating the branch building.
“We’re working with our network strategy partners on next steps,” she said. “So I commit that Michael and I will get back to you in the short term as we build out a plan moving forward.”
Debbie Kozyra, chair of the 55-plus establishment Gateway Manor Inc., noted that Teulon and District Seniors Resource needs a space to operate. She suggested that TD could consider donating the branch to the Town of Teulon for the organization to use.
“I really strongly recommend you look at this proposal of donating that building and put it into the town’s name. They can be responsible for it under the Seniors Resource, and maybe there will be another group that might want to join with them,” she said. “It is a very nice building. It’s been well maintained. It’s got everything they could ask for.”
Jan Lambourne of the Teulon and District Chamber of Commerce said that Teulon’s TD branch is a link between the south and the north of the province.
“If we lose our ATM, you literally don’t have a TD going on between south and north. It’s almost like the Interlake northern region is being eliminated. … The fact is we’re right in the middle. We’re the hub. Everybody drives by going up north,” she said.
“I’ve seen semis parked on Main Street going in TD to do their banking, a last-minute stop before going up north. So if we don’t keep our ATM, you’ve got nothing between Stonewall/Selkirk and Thompson/ The Pas — and that’s a sad fact.”
In response, Warren said TD remains committed to rural Manitoba.
For anyone who would like to ask more questions, learn about support or provide additional feedback, they can reach out to the Teulon branch.
