VANCITY TO OPEN BRANCHLESS BANK
By Adnews Staff
Vancouver City Savings Credit Union wants to open a branchless bank across Canada. The bank will be called Citizens Bank of Canada and will let customers do all their banking over the telephone or computer, or by using a TV or an automated teller machine. Advertising for the bank will be done by BBDO Canada's Vancouver office. VanCity also owns Citizen's Trust of Vancouver. It has filed an application with the federal government to convert Citizen's Trust's existing charter to national bank status. Approval will also be sought to incorporate a new Citizen's Trust to operate as the trust subsidiary of the bank. Citizen's Trust has a federal charter, but only one of its six branches is outside B.C., in Calgary. Federally chartered trusts must register in each province where they do business. Banks are regulated at the federal level.