A farmer from Laurinburgh, Ont., says it was easy for him to make the connection.
“We have two small businesses here.
So when you go to the bank and tell them that you have to pay a $25 fee for a $20 credit, it is not just a $50 transaction,” said Paul C. MacKenzie.
“That is a large amount of money for a small business.”
MacKenzies family started a small dairy business and had a good income.
But when he started thinking about getting a loan, the bank said he needed more credit.
“I had a couple of weeks where it was pretty difficult to get the bank to let me borrow, and I had to go to other banks to try to get them to do it.
And they were not interested,” said MacKenny.
“So I tried to contact other banks and they said they did not have any money available to lend.
So I contacted Laurinville.
And that was the first time I had that experience, in terms of just finding the bank that I wanted to go through,” he said.
The bank said it would do whatever it takes to help people get loans.
Laurin County’s Farm Credit Corporation says the bank was working with the CRA to help consumers who were being targeted.
“Laurinville’s Farm credit is available to anyone who needs a credit line.
“If you can’t find a bank that would lend to you, that is where Laurinvillers Farm credit comes in,” she said. “
When the CRA first contacted us, they said we would be working with them to help these customers get loans,” said McLeod, who is in charge of the bank’s lending programs.
“If you can’t find a bank that would lend to you, that is where Laurinvillers Farm credit comes in,” she said.
“It is available in every Canadian province and it is available for small business borrowers, as well.”
Laurin Village resident Brian Smith says it’s important to be prepared for the possibility that there might be a problem with your bank.
“Even if it is the first of the year, I don’t think I would want to put my bank at risk of losing my home.
So it is a good thing to know what you are up against,” said Smith.
“But, for me personally, the only thing that would be really a worry is if they are charging me a fee that is not right, and they are trying to get me to pay that fee,” he added.
MacNesby said Laurin Valley is working with a bank and other financial institutions to help with this process.
“Our hope is that the CRA will take care of this, that the bank is not going to be charged a fee for people who are doing it,” he told CBC News.
“And we will make sure that the banks are getting their fair share of the revenue, and that they are being fair with the customers,” said McClean.
“To me, it was just so frustrating that I couldn’t find anything.
And the problem with the banks, they are not going out there and telling people, ‘You are not eligible, because we don’t have money for you.'”
For more information on the CRA’s Farm and Trade Credit program, visit www.cra.gc.ca/factory.