Bank of Nova Scotia and Western Union today announced the national rollout of a new platform for money transfers. The relationship will bring the global reach of Western Union to all Scotiabank customers across Canada.

“Today’s announcement enables us to give our customers the ability to send money to friends, family and business colleagues to over 200 countries and territories around the world in a safe, fast and convenient manner, either from a participating Scotiabank branch, or the comfort of their own homes using our online banking service,” says Sabi Marwah, Scotiabank vice-chairman and chief administrative officer.

The national roll out allows Scotiabank customers the option to go into one of the over 1,000 branches across Canada or use the new online service to send money from home or the workplace to one of Western Union’s over 290,000 Agent locations across 200 countries and territories around the world.

“Western Union and Scotiabank are global brands consumers trust,” says Western Union president and CEO, Christina Gold. “Together with Scotiabank, Western Union will now provide Canada’s diverse community, one more way to connect to the world — helping one family at a time and one community at a time provide support and new optimism to those back home.”

Today’s launch follows the success of a pilot program started in December 2007 to offer customers the ability to send outbound money transfers from 42 Scotiabank branch locations in British Columbia, the Prairies and Ontario.