It's a welcome addition to a close-knit community.
Community Savings held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday to show off its newest branch in Burnaby Heights.
Mayor Derek Corrigan, along with Community Savings president and chief executive officer Doug Eveneshen helped cut the ribbon to usher in the new financial institution to North Burnaby.
The branch is on the site of a former McDonald's restaurant that had closed down, with the restaurant relocating further east along Hastings. The old building was rife with graffiti and was a neighbourhood eyesore until the redevelopment of the Firma building on that site.
Coun. Pietro Calendino is a North Burnaby resident who welcomes the addition of the new financial institution to the area.
"It's a beautiful building, a really nice branch," said Calendino. "It's a lovely great addition to the area."
The branch itself offers services such as a free coin counting machine, a $2 unlimited chequing account and the second largest bank machine network in the province. In addition, the branch has a modern look, and instead of traditional stand-up counters, the service area offers comfy chairs and privacy dividers for customers to do their banking.
Also as part of Tuesday's festivities, Burnaby Family Life and Burnaby Community Connections each received a charitable donation of $2,500 from Community Savings.
On May 5, Community Savings will be hosting a block party from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for all its neighbours in the Burnaby Heights, with events such as children's entertainment, a barbecue, an outdoor café, tours of the vault and prizes. For more info, go to www.FirmaBlockParty.com.
The branch is located on the corner of Hastings and Alpha.
