Small Outaouais town of Ripon to get ATM back
Residents in Ripon, Que., who were up in arms when Desjardins removed the town's only ATM may soon be able to cash in on a new pilot project bringing automatic banking to a handful of Quebec communities.
Desjardins and the Federation of Quebec Municipalities agreed at a meeting Tuesday night to test out ATMs in five towns in the province — including Ripon.
The decision comes after three months of pressure and mobilization from residents in the rural community of about 1,500, approximately 80 kilometres northeast of Ottawa.
"We've been in discussions with the Quebec Federation of Municipalities for a few weeks now to find a way to respond to certain requests from citizens," Roger Lafrenière, general manager of Desjardins Caisse de la Petite-Nation, told Radio-Canada in French.
The community's ATM was removed in January.
According to Desjardins representatives, use of the ATM in the Petite-Nation Market building on Route 317 had dropped 13 per cent since 2015.
The new ATM in Ripon will be independent and only used to withdraw money. It will also charge a fee.
