Betrayal is the word that Gregg Nagel feels best describes Mossbank's feelings following the Tuesday announcement of their bank closure.

Mossbank's mayor said it's the little things that people don't think of and will be visibly missed when their local Conexus closes their doors on October 2nd.

Along with 8 other branches, Conexus announced the closure Tuesday, to the town's dismay.

Nagel said normally you can trust these cooperative systems will stick around.

"We're very disappointed, and I'm not afraid to say we feel betrayed by Conexus. Simply because in any small community in rural Saskatchewan, generally speaking your cooperative systems are the last ones the leave your community. Because they were actually built by the community for the community. The reaction in town, across our town, is one of dismay, and then there's an element of anger and frustration."

Conexus has said that they feel banking is no longer a place to go, but a thing to do. Nagel disagrees strongly with this.

"The digital age, that's for sure part in parcel of the decision, but it doesn't replace the face to face. There's a significant amount of our rural population, 45 to 50 years olds and maybe older, that just don't do the digital thing. If they get their power bill being paid automatically that might be the extent of it. But they're not into e transfers, they're not into this that and the other thing, especially in the rural situations."

According to Nagel, there was no heads up given to the community about the closure.

"Not a single word was said to us. Not a single member that I'm aware of was consulted in any way. The open democratic system was just ignored completely. And they're using all kind of modern day terms to rationalize what they're doing, but in terms of the real person it's face to face service. It's our friends that work at those counters and see us everyday. And it's not just about a transaction tick for every time somebody comes in the door. That is part of it, yes, but it's all the little things that go with being part of the community. Our business group is really quite upset about it. We're going to be proactive, let's put it that way. I don't know whether we'll get anywhere with it, but we're going to try to be rational. I'm sure the folks that are coming to meet us on Monday night are going to hear their share of dismay and maybe some anger."

There is a meeting being held at the Community Hall in Mossbank Monday night, and they're expecting Conexus' Chairman of the Board, and their Chief executive officer to be there to shine a light on this decision.

"I'm sure there will be a local branch member, which they wouldn't have had any input in this decision at the local level. And I don't know who else will be there. I'm anticipating a person or two from either the board and or management group that heads that situation up. Monday night is the first of the week, and then I think throughout the week they have others planned."

Nagel said they have meetings planned prior to and following Monday's meeting to try to come up with solutions that might be practical and better for the community.

"We feel quite strongly that they are making a long term market choice that isn't really in the best interest of the Credit Union in itself. And we want to see if we can be a part of that re visitation. We certainly want to see them reverse it, that would be the first thing we would like to see. But providing day to day service to our local community, there's things that go beyond just banking transactions. There's security of business money everyday. The ability to use a safety deposit box, or have your credit card monitored. Stop by for a simple thing like maybe a $20 roll of toonies so when you drive all the way into town to fill your water truck for your water truck at home and you get to town and there's no money you can go down to Conexus and pick up what you need. It's little practical things that don't really count as day to day banking, but those are the things that a community depends on, and we have had such great front line service that it's a surprise that they would do that."

Nagel wants the entire community and anyone who uses the branch of the Credit Union to come out to Monday night's meeting, and to be prepared to come with rational thinking and voice their concerns.

"But don't be afraid to come with your emotional side of things, I think that that's important for people to realize just how hard this is for people to accept. Betrayal. It's a strong word, but I'm not afraid to use it."

The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. Monday night.