Group hopes to breathe new life into historic N.B. bank

A former bank in Riverside Albert holds a place in New Brunswick history, and now efforts are underway to make new memories at the iconic site.

It’s been vacant since the pandemic, but the old bank in Riverside-Albert, N.B., is full of history.

Originally a Bank of New Brunswick when it opened in 1903, it merged with the Bank of Nova Scotia 10 years later and served residents of Albert County for almost a century.

Albert County Historical Society president Dawne Wright-McLean said the bank had two previous locations before being moved to its current spot at the intersection of Route 114 and 915 in 1928.

“It has a presence just like all heritage buildings have a presence. Especially if you were part of going into that building and having experienced that. You just feel it,” said Wright-McLean. “It was important that it was here because we had the sailing ships coming into the wharf, the railway, it was a very prosperous community.”

Now, it’s located in a tourism corridor on the way to Fundy National Park. It was being used as a museum and tourism centre, but has sat idle since 2021.

The Chipoudy Community Revitalization Committee (CCRC) is inviting social enterprises or entrepreneurs to submit a Request for Proposal (RFP) to breathe new life into the landmark building.

Committee member William MacCallum said their goal is to find an owner to operate the bank year-round, support the local economy and preserve the heritage of the building.

“We have some ideas about what we’d like to see. Something to do with the history, but also something that the community can use,” said MacCallum.

MacCallum said he’s open-minded about what could possibly become of the three-storey building.

“I’d like to see something that not only attracts tourists, but something the community can use,” said MacCallum.

Fundy Albert Mayor Jim Campbell said the former bank is an important part of the community.

“It would be great to have it utilized with a café, a small business of some sort. Anything we can do to maintain it,” said Campbell.

In 1984, the financial institution was the sight of the province’s largest ever bank robbery.

McLean said $177,000 was stolen.

“Never recovered, but the two culprits were recovered. They were caught,” she said.

Campbell said two people were charged and jailed for the robbery.

“But the money has never been found. There’s always the hope somebody in New Ireland may find it because that’s where the robbers were caught,” said Campbell.

Lindsay Butland is the co-owner of Crooked Creek Convenience, a gas bar located roughly halfway between Hopewell Rocks and Fundy National Park. She said a new tenant at the bank across the street from her would be good for business and the area in general.

“Vacant buildings are never good for a community so filling them up and getting use out of them would definitely be helpful for the community,” said Butland. “Really open to anything new in the village. A bakery, café, more rental areas, tourist information. Just restoring it to its old self would be great.”

The deadline for RFP submissions is Sept. 10.

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