Caisse Populaire is opening a branch in West Ferris

West Ferris is getting a financial institution.

It hasn’t had one for several months but that will change in the spring of next year when Caisse Populaire Alliance opens a location in the Nipissing Plaza.

Caisse already has a branch on Cassells Street.

Regional Manager Norm St. Amour says they’re moving in to West Ferris to fill a need in the city.

“We looked at the traffic count. There is 9,000 cars a day that come down Lakeshore Drive. That’s a lot of people. Lakeshore Drive is also the flow through from Callander. Callander residents come through Lakeshore to get to their bank as well, ” he says.

Pierre Dorval is the chief executive officer of Caisse Populaire Alliance. He says they’re encouraging all residents to become customers and not just those that speak french which has been the tradition.

“We’re adapting to our members. We’ve been serving english and french customers in North Bay for a long time now and it’s going well,” Dorval says.

He says he likes West Ferris and he believes the prospects are good for their business.

“We believe that with 12,000 people around there are members of the community that will work with us and we’ll help revitalize the community,” he says.

Regional Manager Norm St. Amour says the opening of their location in West Ferris could spur that part of the city on to bigger and better things.

“Bringing a financial instutution will set the groundwork for other businesses to follow. People won’t have to drive across town to do their banking. They’ll be able to go a block or two instead to make their deposits or meet their financial advisor. That’s what we hope is going to happen,” St. Amour says.