Responses to your Frequently Asked Questions

What is this partnership all about?
Envision Financial and Valley First, together with First Calgary Savings, are building a new, unique financial services provider for Western Canada. This new credit union will offer member-owners the strength of a large credit union while maintaining the local focus and personal service of a hometown credit union. The merger between Envision and Valley First to create First West is the first step in building this new organization.

Why the partnership between these three organizations?
First Calgary Savings, Valley First and Envision are successful, community-minded credit unions. Our values, culture and goals are similar and compatible with each other. Our geographical position also makes this merger a natural fit, as combining our operations will provide credit union member-owners with service from the B.C. coast through to the Interior, and extending all the way to Calgary.

What makes this partnership model unique?
Unlike a traditional merger, in which one or both parties lose their individual identities, this partnership sees each credit union retain its local identity, community focus and local decision making. Envision Financial continues to operate as Envision Financial in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Kitimat, Valley First continues to operate as Valley First in the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson regions, and First Calgary Savings continues to operate under its name in Calgary and southern Alberta.

How does this partnership benefit me?
Though each organization operates as Valley First, Envision or First Calgary Savings, we have the strength and backing of a larger credit union network, which gives us the ability to enhance our products and services. We also hope offer member-owners access to their accounts across a much wider area through each others branches throughout the partnership network.

Do local communities still have a say in how their credit union is run?
One key feature of this partnership is that each partner will retain its local identity and local decision making.