After more than two months of closure following the devastating downtown Orillia fire on Jan. 21, Meridian Credit Union has announced it will reopen in a temporary location across the street from its former branch.
Starting March 31, Meridian members will once again have access to full banking services at 44 Mississaga St. E., the former home of National Bank.
“We’ve been working hard to re-establish somewhere, and we have some great news,” said Dilys D’Cruz, senior vice president, retail and wealth at Meridian. “We are opening up a temporary branch across the street from our original location. It worked out really well that we were able to stay in the same vicinity.”
The temporary branch will offer full over-the-counter banking services and feature a 24-hour ATM. While there will be a brief transition period to install a Meridian-branded ATM, members can expect business as usual from the new location, said D'Cruz.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the original branch at 73 Mississaga St. E., D’Cruz reaffirmed that Meridian has no intention of leaving Orillia.
“It’s absolutely a location we value,” she said. “We’ve been here for a long time, and we have a great customer base. We just needed to land a temporary location while we wait for further updates on the original building.”
The City of Orillia recently confirmed that work will soon begin at the fire-damaged site. However, it remains unclear whether the structure will be demolished or repaired.
Meridian made a monetary donation to North Simcoe Victim Services to aid those impacted by the downtown blaze that left several businesses without a home.
Additionally, Meridian’s network of branches — including those in Barrie and Collingwood — stepped up to ensure Orillia members continued to receive support while their local branch was out of service.
“When the fire happened, every one of our Orillia members was personally contacted by a branch representative to reassure them and keep them informed,” D’Cruz said.
The reopening of a physical banking location will come as welcome news to customers who have been relying on virtual, online, and telephone banking options since January, said D'Cruz.
“We’re feeling good that we can continue to provide the service that our members are used to,” D’Cruz added. “This was a tough situation for the city and its residents, but we’re excited to start the next chapter.”