Lawmakers should halt closures of Canadian bank branches – research

Canadian banks may continue closing branches in remote areas, not due to ease of accessibility but because of socioeconomic conditions, researchers from the Bank of Canada suggest.

Lawmakers might consider halting this trend, Heng Chen and Matthew Strathearn say in the paper.  

Politicians could impose a minimum number of branches on banks, or consider proposals similar to those in Sweden, they say. The researchers warn their findings indicate a decrease in accessibility of banking services