Canadian Financial Diaries Research Project

Oct 2021, An Indigenous woman in Winnipeg, looking into switching her bank account to new bank, was forced to leave the branch…3 times! This experience might not be so unusual. See media links below to this story, a related 2020 story from Vancouver, and a report studying bank exclusion.

CBC, Oct 2021: BMO apologizes after guard asks residential school survivor to leave Winnipeg bank on 2 occasions

WFP, Oct 2021: BMO reconciliation ‘sales gimmick’ angers unwelcome Indigenous woman

CBC, Nov 2020: Indigenous man and granddaughter handcuffed at Vancouver bank file human rights complaint against BMO, police

Are you interested in some background to understand what is going on?This report discusses results of a 2010 study that examined how people with low-income are treated by banks:

How Well Are Poor People Served by Canadian Banks? Testing Consumer Treatment Using Mystery Shopping