Should I continue to get charged for an account I dont need?

I've had a Gold cheque account for a few years now but I dont need it anymore. I walked into a branch to try and get the account closed but I was told I was bit late because the tellers had already closed, this was on a Saturday. I was advised to come back on the Monday before 4pm. Due to work commitments, that is not possible, I simply can not go to a branch during working hours. So I called customer services and was told to go to the branch. I explained that I could not do that and asked if it meant that if i cant go to a branch my account will continue to be charged a monthly fee - the answer was "Yes". I asked to speak to someone else who can help and was transferred to noone in particular, just to the automated menu. I don't need the account anymore, I cant get to a branch, I'll continue to get charged. I dont understand how difficult it is to just close the account, why do i need to go to the branch?