My parents setup a bank account with Parama ages ago, when I was still in diapers. While many of my childhood friends have moved on from Parama to "Canadian" banks like RBC, CIBC, TD and whatnot I stick with Parama.
Oh how I enjoy this place, let me count the ways:
*no service fees (other than whatever ATM fees are charged by other insitutions)
*can get money orders in CAD or USD
*can do wires to any destination worldwide, for a small fee
*traveller's cheques (though I admit with the advent of the debit card this isn't really of great interest to me)
*credit card (I don't have one, but they have one)
*Ethical Mutual Funds
*RRSPs & other investments like TFSAs
*they are open 7 days a week, very close to the subway, and there is always enough tellers about that you are not forced to wait for more than a couple of minutes
*can get USD, Litas and EU currency
And as a credit union member I can take part in the AGM and vote on the Board of Directors - how many bank customers can decide who head's up their financial institution?