Melville to lose its Bank of Montreal branch in 2026

After closures in Weyburn and Davidson, BMO will shut its Melville branch in June.

The city of Melville will be losing its local branch of the Bank of Montreal (BMO) in 2026.

“It came as a bit of a shock and a huge disappointment. BMO has been part of our community for a very, very long time,” said Joe Kirwan, Melville’s mayor.

BMO first opened in Melville in 1908 as the Merchants’ Bank of Canada, and in the past century it became a staple in the community.

News of its closure arrived in the form of a flyer posted at the branch.

“Frankly, the city was not consulted in any manner, and I learned about it just the way most other people did, either on Facebook and through email,” said Kirwan.

A picture of the flyer was shared in local groups, with many residents expressing their concerns in the comments.

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The BMO branch in Melville will close on June 19, 2026. Following the closure, the nearest available location for residents will be the Yorkton branch.

Those looking to bank in person are faced with at least a 30-minute drive. For many current customers, this isn’t an option for a variety of reasons, from age to transport limitation between the cities.

Mayor Kirwan encourages residents to reach out to BMO with their concerns, though he himself is not optimistic, given that BMO branches have been shut down in other rural Sask. centres such as Weyburn and Davidson.

“I do have a meeting set up with the Chamber of Commerce executive director this week,” he told CTV News. ”[Chamber] leadership can write a letter to BMO expressing those looking to express their concerns will be given a chance to do so in-person."

According to the bulletin, the bank’s regional vice-president, along with the branch manager will be available for an information drop-in session at the branch on Wed., Jan. 7, during regular branch hours.

Some commenters on social media have suggested showing up in a group.

“I think we should all pile in there on January 7th and let the regional VP know what we think,” one commenter said. “There are a lot of elderly that cannot drive to Yorkton, who will have to switch banks as well.”