For over 80 years, the National Credit Union Awards have served as a platform to shine the spotlight on outstanding leadership, community involvement and ingenuity across the sector. It’s an opportunity for the system to gather, honour accomplishments, learn from one another, and celebrate the innovation that stems from Canadian credit unions.
As we countdown to this year’s awards event —taking place on September 15th during the National Conference for Canada’s Credit Unions— we look back on previous award submissions that highlight the innovative and altruistic spirit that define Canada’s credit unions.
Last year’s Best of Marketing winning submissions included the inspiring ‘Hamilton Cooks’ project developed by Tandia Financial Credit Union. The project originated in November 2019, and was supported by local community business partners, and the participation of 15 featured restaurants from the Hamilton area. The project featured a cookbook published by the credit union, which included a biography and exclusive recipes from each of the 15 restaurants. The books sold for $20 each, with 100% of all proceeds going to the local Food4Kids charity —an organization which helps provide healthy meals to children in need. By early January 2020, 1,500 copies had been sold, resulting in a $30,000 donation to Food4Kids.
In 2019, East Coast Credit Union received the Community & Economic Impact Award for their ‘Michelin Development Program.’ The goal of the program was to create 250 jobs in a 4-year period in support of the workforce affected by the Michelin Canada Nova Scotia plant reduction. The program involved three community partners, East Coast Credit Union, Community Business Development Corporation (CBDC) and Michelin Development (Canada), and, and it created 314 new jobs in the area at 92 different businesses by the program’s end in December 2018.
In 2018, First West Credit Union received the Learning Excellence Award for their ‘Investing in People: First West Certification Program.’ The employee training program was developed over the course of three years and features a comprehensive model which allows existing staff to grow within the credit union, and incoming staff to feel more confident in the new environment. The certification program takes a holistic approach to learning, providing the resources, educational opportunities and coaching employees need to develop knowledge and skills to thrive within their roles.
In 2017, Assiniboine Credit Union won the Social Responsibility Award for their ‘Eco-Excellence Program,’ which saw the credit union reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by 56% since 2012 through initiatives such as energy efficiency and employee commuting. The credit union has been a consistent leader in the environmental space and has been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for ten years in a row (as of 2021).
The National Awards also recognize prominent young leaders in the system. The Young Leaders Award helps identify the best and brightest young employees, motivate them, and publicize their accomplishments to inspire others. The 2021 National Young Leaders Award recipients have already been announced, and the winners hosted a virtual presentation to the system back in June. Of the five winners, one will be announced as the recipient of the $10,000 scholarship during September’s live event.
The 2021 National Young Leader Award winners are:
Amanda Wantke, First West Credit Union
Jordan McFarlen, Conexus Credit Union
Amanda Gilchrist, Assiniboine Credit Union
Sarah Taylor, Libro Credit Union
Robert Unruh, Access Credit Union
Every award season the system is reminded of the great impact delivered by credit unions across the country, and this year will be no different. We look forward to celebrating the 2021 National Credit Union Award winners, and recognizing the innovation and impact driving the sector forward.
Don’t miss out on this year’s FREE virtual award ceremony and register today!