Most of us come face to face with the banking business in relatively little ways.

The biggest single purchase most people make is a house, and that requires a mortgage. Otherwise we go to the bank to borrow money for a new truck, a college education, a vacation and other sundry things we either want or need to make our lives a little smoother.

So when two of Canada's biggest banks propose to merge into one bigger bank, the important question is, "How does that effect me?" or perhaps, "So what?"

Good questions.

Traditionally, Canada has had a very strong, secure banking system. Over the years, the Canada Bank Act has ensured that our banks are stable institutions. Something like the savings and loan fiasco that rocked the American financial services business in the '80s couldn't have happened here.

But with the increasing pressure on banks to remain competitive in the transnational market, banks have to have big pools of capital to stay in the game. And the rewards for shareholders are tremendous.

As a result, a merger was inevitable. But none of this brings any benefit to the average customer. There has been no mention of overdraught fees being reduced or lower charges to process a bounced cheque.

Nor can you expect any changes. There's not a lot of profit in customer service.

As banks look to global business for increased profits, consumers could start thinking about credit unions and co-operative financial organizations as an alternative for their own needs.

Pooling a community's resources to create a financial services company is not unlike two banks merging. The difference is that the community runs it.

People can't rely on banks to respond to their needs. Banks' interest lies elsewhere. As is the case with so many things in life, if you want it done right, do it yourself.

When Inuit patients think their nurse is Chinese until she speaks Inuktitut, as nursing graduate Laureen Angalik noticed during her practicum in Iqaluit, that says more about our education needs than Northern nurses.

In fact, Northern nurses are top notch but there are far too few Inuit and Dene nurses and that's where the education system comes in.

Angalik was featured last week in a News/North story on a mentorship program designed to train nursing grads in the communities rather than hospitals.

This is the type of education innovation that not only offers tremendous experience but also puts role models in places such as Arviat, where they are needed most.