Over the past few years, there's been a notable shift in the banking industry. Consumers are asking for more convenient banking options and locations and for help to gain a clearer understanding of their financial future. We are listening and taking action.

This year, we were proud to introduce our Mobile Banking app and Me-to-Me Transfers, making it more convenient than ever for our members to access their accounts and banking information. We were also proud to launch a new online referral program, allowing our members to easily recommend Envision to their friends and family and to be rewarded for doing so. There's even more to come in 2013, including new online enhancements.

Our branch and insurance office locations are also important when it comes to convenience. This year, we relocated our Scottsdale branch to the Sunshine Hills area and our Scottsdale insurance office to Newton. In late December, our business banking team from Minter Street moved into our centrally-located Town Centre branch. In mid-2013 we will be relocating our Minter Street branch to the new High Street development in West Abbotsford.

The driving force behind all of these changes is to make banking simple for our members. Our employees are committed to providing you, our members, with an amazing experience that is easy and convenient. I'm so proud of the progress we've made in 2012.

If you're not yet an Envision Financial member, please join us—we'd love to get to know you. To all of our members, thank you for your ongoing loyalty and support and for continuing to choose Envision Financial. We are here because of you.

Globe West Printers and Envision Financial: Succeeding together

When Ken Giesbrecht moved from Saskatchewan to B.C. 25 years ago, one of his first goals was to set up an extension of the family commercial print shop business his father started in Saskatchewan in 1973. A short time later, Globe West Printers in Abbotsford was born.

"When I started my own print shop, my father's advice was to bank with a credit union," says Giesbrecht. "It wasn't long before I figured out why. After several years of renting I was ready to purchase my own building, but my financial services provider at the time wasn't interested in helping me. When I went into Envision Financial and met with commercial account manager Lyndon Fransoo, it was like night and day. Lyndon took a personal interest in me and even came to tour my business so he could better understand how Envision Financial could partner with me."

Globe West Printers started out as a one-man show but over the years it has grown to become the largest commercial printer in the Fraser Valley with 30 employees. The reasons behind their success are simple.

"Our team is focused on helping our customers achieve significant business results," says Giesbrecht. "We take pride in consistently delivering high quality, cost-effective printing with fast turnaround times and exceptional customer service."

"I feel lucky to have Envision Financial and Lyndon in my corner," he adds. "They have been with us at every milestone—the purchase of our building, our printing press and the acquisition of our local competitor this past fall."

As Giesbrecht looks another 25 years down the road, he sees further expansion of his business and more acquisitions, and he knows Envision Financial will be with him every step of the way.

By the numbers

• Member Experience Index scores continue to surpass industry averages: 87% for credit union members and insurance clients
• 86% of members would refer family or friends to Envision Financial
• 3,901 net new members joined the Envision Financial family
• $0—the monthly service fee our members pay for our Simply Free Account™
• 23 new employees licensed to offer investment advice to our members
• 31 senior leaders spent a day in Envision Financial branches and insurance offices connecting with members as part of our Closer-to-the-Member day
• 16 member-facing processes review and streamlined through Lean, making it easier for our members to do business with us

Highlights

• Envision Financial said good-bye to banking fees with the introduction of its new Simply Free Account™, the only banking account that offers free Interac® e-Transfers in Canada
• Scottsdale branch relocated to a brand new, state-of-the-art branch facility at 6481-120 Street in the Sunshine Hills area

• Scottsdale insurance office relocated to 114-7322 King George Boulevard in Newton, beside our Newton branch
• Referral Perks program launched, making it easy and rewarding for members of Envision Financial to refer their family and friends to the credit union
• Me-to-Me Transfers launched, enabling Envision Financial members to link their accounts at other financial institutions to their Envision Financial account and thus making it easier to transfer funds
• Envision Financial Mobile Banking app launched, allowing members to check account information, transfer money, pay bills and schedule transactions all from an iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad
• Envision Financial re-launched the Unlimited Chequing for Business® account—the best small business account in the marketplace
• Envision Financial partnered with Travel Insurance Coordinators Ltd. as our exclusive travel insurance provider to provide members with better pricing and an enhanced product offering

Helping the homeless with time, commitment and passion

When the Salvation Army began the capital campaign to address the development of an emergency shelter in Langley, Envision Financial was quick to jump on board. Employees participated in the public fundraising campaign, spoke at several town hall community forums, volunteered on the Salvation Army's community advisory committee, provided support on the grand opening planning committee and acted as volunteers during open house celebrations in December 2009.

"The original vision for our Gateway of Hope facility was born from a desire to address the needs of the homeless in our local community in a comprehensive way," says Troy Gaglardi, director of operations at the Gateway of Hope. "Our goal is to see people get to a place where they're productive and able to connect with other people."

Since the start of the partnership, Envision Financial has given more than $75,000 to the Gateway of Hope. Over the years Envision Financial's involvement has deepened to include sponsorship of many of its fundraising events and involvement from Envision employees. Each year, the Envision team participates in the Christmas Kettle Campaign and volunteers at the Gateway of Hope as part of Envision's annual community service volunteer week.

Three years ago, Envision Financial partnered with the Gateway of Hope to design and develop a six-week financial literacy program. The program, now held twice each year, is facilitated by Envision Financial volunteers, and focuses on knowledge-building skills and interactive learning in the areas of financial decision-making, budgeting and savings, debit and credit, and planning for the future.

"Envision Financial has been a tremendous partner—they're aligned with our values of relationship, authenticity and innovation," says Gaglardi. "They really want to be part of the solution and they recognize that it doesn't just take money. It takes time, commitment and passion. Ultimately, we're looking for people first. If you have people working with you who share your vision, you can achieve much more together."

By the numbers

• Nearly $1.3 million donated to worthy causes and organizations in our local communities
• More than $215,000 of in-kind contributions to charitable partners
• 1,368 gifts, 3,400 lbs of food and almost $15,000 collected for local families and seniors through our Angel Tree program
• $44,000 donated to local charities and community organizations by employees as part of our employee giving campaign
• More than $31,000 contributed to nonprofit partners as employee volunteerism during working hours
• 4,445 hours of employee time donated through Envision Financial's employee volunteerism program
• 50 free concerts for local residents through the Envision Twilight Concert Series, Envision Coffee House Concert Series and Envision Concert in the Park Series

• 184 employees participated in our sixth annual community volunteer service week, up 8% from 2011
• 18 seniors and children impacted through our Big Brothers Big Sisters' Between Generations Program
• 4,300 runners participated in Run for Water, up 47% from 2011
• More than $50,000 raised for B.C. Children's Hospital Foundation by Envision Financial employees

Envision Financial is a proud participant of LBG Canada, a growing group of companies committed to maximizing the value of their community investment—for community partners and for the business. Our community investment results are based on LBG Canada valuation principles.

A selection of Envision Financial’s community partners in 2012 includes:

To make our services more accessible we completed the rebranding of the Vintage Hills credit union and insurance offices in Westbank and the Don Stobbe insurance office in Kelowna. We also made significant strides toward opening our two newest branches, RiverBend branch in Kamloops and Rutland branch at Valley First Place in Kelowna. With these three terrific additions to our network, a Valley First branch is closer to you than ever before.

It's no secret the world is going digital. We are no different. During the year, we added Interac® e-Transfers, e-statements, online loan and account applications and an online referrals program to our product and service line-up. With these tremendous introductions, banking has never been more convenient.

In all my years in banking, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say they like paying bank fees. This year, we relegated them to the history books when we launched the Simply Free Account™—our no-cost everyday account. Coupled with Unlimited Chequing for Business® at just $20 per month, we are providing the highest level of service at the lowest possible cost.

All these enhancements serve one purpose: keeping it simple for you, our member. In many cases we've leapfrogged the competition in terms of financial expertise, accessibility and products. Even better, this sets the tone for a tremendous 2013.

The success of Valley First comes down to two things: the commitment of our dedicated employees, and the loyalty and support of our members. I would like to thank you all for playing such an important role in making Valley First the incredible organization it is today. I look forward to another 65 years of success.

Valley First partnership helps The Bench become one of Penticton's best known eateries

Since opening in 2005, The Bench Artisan Food Market has become one of Penticton's most recognized eateries and gourmet markets. And, with ongoing financial support and expertise from Valley First, it has continued to grow its reputation as one of the South Okanagan's premier casual dining venues.

The story of The Bench began when sisters Dawn Lennie and Debbie Halladay saw an opportunity to satisfy the growing demand for good food and products to go with award-winning Okanagan wines. With an ironclad business idea and a location in mind, Lennie and Halladay turned their attentions to finding the ideal financial partner.

"I was new to the Okanagan, so a friend suggested I talk to Valley First," says Lennie. "From our first meeting more than seven years ago, Valley First has been there every step of the way. The support and expert advice the team provides has allowed us to continue to grow and add to our product line and premises."

"We've worked hard to build our reputation and we want to keep delivering for our loyal customers," adds Lennie. "Building our business like this wasn't even in our plans seven years ago. We're extremely happy with our partnership with Valley First and the way The Bench is expanding."

By the numbers

• 86% of Valley First members who use our retail, business or wealth management services would most likely recommend them to friend or family member
• 84% of clients would most likely recommend Valley First Insurance to a friend or family member
• 2,259 new members joined Valley First
• 94% of members and clients will most likely continue to use Valley First services in the future
• 78 branch employees licensed to sell mutual funds
• Eight new products and services introduced to help simplify banking for members

Highlights

• Providing superior service at no cost to you with the Simply Free Account™
• Making it easy and profitable to spread the word about Valley First with Referral Perks
• Sending cash across Canada at the touch of a button with Interac® e-Transfers
• Serving small business needs by launching Unlimited Chequing for Business®—the all-in-one business account for one low monthly fee
• Launching the mobile app: full-service banking on your smartphone or tablet

• Looking after our members and clients at home and abroad with specialized travel insurance products
• Expanding our branch and insurance network by welcoming Vintage Hills at 201-3550 Carrington Road in Westbank and Rutland Insurance—ahead of its move to Valley First Place—in Kelowna to the Valley First network
• Laying the plans for the two new branches we opened in 2013: the RiverBend branch at 760 Mayfair Street in Kamloops and Valley First Place—home of the Rutland branch and Rutland Insurance—at 101-110 Highway 33 in Kelowna

65th anniversary year commemorated with community investment successes

On Feb. 7, Valley First celebrated its 65th anniversary. To mark this historic occasion in true Valley First style, we asked our employees and members to make a real difference in the communities where they live, work and play.

To kick things off, we launched our 6,500 pound food challenge. We committed to gifting $6,500 to the food bank in the area of the Valley First branch that gathered the largest amount of food donations on the way to our 6,500 pound target.

After surpassing that initial target in less than four months with the Valley First Armstrong branch leading the charge collecting 1,950 of food, we re-issued the challenge offering another $6,500 for food collected until the end of the year. In an incredible show of support, our branches went on to collect 13,000 more pounds of food, the lions share of which was collected by the small Similkameen town, Keremeos. In 12 months, the branch raised close to 12,000 pounds of food and netted $6,500 for the Cawston & Area Food Bank. In total for the year, our Feed the Valley collections totalled 32,000 pounds of food and $149,000 dollars.

Continuing on the 65th anniversary theme, Valley First extended its partnership with the Penticton Vees by pledging $65 to KidSport for every goal the team scored during its playoff run. With the Vees scoring 130 times en route to becoming RBC Cup champions—the biggest prize in Junior A hockey—$8,450 was deposited in the KidSport coffers.

These tremendous successes significantly raised Valley First's profile as a leader in community giving and support. We also earned high praise from community partners such as Food Banks B.C. and municipalities across the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys.

By the numbers

• Nearly $780,000 donated to worthy causes and organizations in our local communities
• $2.5 million injected in the South Okanagan economy through the sponsorship of the Valley First Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan
• More than $41,000 of in-kind contributions to charitable partners
• More than $3,000 contributed to nonprofit partners as employee volunteerism during working hours
• $149,000 and 32,000 pounds of food raised during 2012 for Feed the Valley, bringing the overall total to almost $465,000 and nearly 40,000 pounds of food raised since March 2010
• 11 students benefitted from $17,000 in scholarship and bursary payments
• $33,000 donated to local charities and community organizations by employees as part of our employee giving campaign
• 1,100 hours of employee time spent volunteering in communities across the Okanagan, Similkameen and Thompson valleys

Valley First is a proud participant of LBG Canada, a growing group of companies committed to maximizing the value of their community investment—for community partners and for the business. Our community investment results are based on LBG Canada valuation principles.

A selection of Valley First’s community partners in 2012 includes: