Scotiabank Branch in Lac La Biche to Close in 2026
The Scotiabank branch located in Lac La Biche will be relocated to Athabasca on June 4, 2026, at 11 a.m. The move requires customers in Lac La Biche to travel farther for in-person banking services.
Reason for Relocation
[translate:According to a letter from the multinational financial services company, which has its headquarters in Toronto, services currently offered at the Lac La Biche branch, will be moved to Athabasca, effective June 4, 2026, at 11 a.m.] Yara Jouzy, manager of Canadian Banking Communications for Scotiabank, explained the decision, noting changes in client banking habits.
"After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to relocate our services at our Lac La Biche branch to our branch at Athabasca," Jouzy said.
She added that the preference for digital banking is growing, which affects branch visitor numbers and leads to strategic shifts in how Scotiabank serves its clients.
"With client preferences changing, and more day-to-day banking being done digitally, we are continuing to evolve how we serve our clients and invest in areas that make it easier for our clients to bank with us in multiple ways."
Branch Closures and Relocations Beyond Lac La Biche
The letter also noted a general decline in branch visitors, prompting closures and relocations in other regions. For example, in Ontario, some branches will close in 2026.
- The Chesterville branch will close on May 13, 2026, and move to Casselman, about a 30-minute drive away.
This reflects Scotiabank's ongoing efforts to adjust its physical presence in response to evolving customer behavior.
Summary
Scotiabank is consolidating its branches by moving the Lac La Biche location to Athabasca in mid-2026, driven by shifting customer preferences towards digital banking and reduced branch visits.
Would you like the summary to be more formal or conversational in tone?