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VantageOne Credit Union is excited to announce the winners of our Peachland branch’s “Time to Travel Contest”. This contest was exclusive to our Peachland branch to reward and thank our loyal members and to welcome new members. The contest started on November 1st and concluded with our prize draw on April 15th. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, our winners were awarded cash instead of the travel gift cards.
Congratulations to the lucky winners!
First Prize ($1,500 cash) – Patricia Dunn
Second Prize ($800 cash) – Ainsley Bender
Third Prize (travel luggage approx value $700) – Myra Brackstone
VantageOne Credit Union and our Peachland branch would like to thank our members and the community of Peachland for your continued support.
“It was great to see how successful the contest was and to watch it spread through Peachland by word-of-mouth and referral, we could really feel the support of the community”, says Erin Chadwick, Account Manager at the Peachland branch. “We are proud to volunteer and donate to many great causes in this community, and to see support come back to us with people choosing to invest locally with VantageOne, really meant a lot!”
We would also like to take this opportunity to remind members, we are here for you, and we know you need our advice and support now more than ever.
“During this difficult time we have been working hard to accommodate our members and still offer them all the help they need with the great service they are used to,” says Lenka Anderson, Member Services Manager a the Peachland branch, “We are here to help you with everything from opening accounts to guiding you through online banking or any ATM help you may need. Please do not hesitate to call us with any questions you may have.”
About VantageOne Credit Union
As a community-based credit union, we are owned by our members and operated by people who live here and are deeply invested in our communities. Our history as a credit union reaches all the way back to 1944 when we opened our first branch in Vernon. Since that time, we’re proud to have become a vital part of the local business economy. We offer services through six branch locations through the Okanagan in communities including Peachland, Armstrong, Edgewood and Vernon.
We offer Consumer & Commercial Banking Services, Wealth Management and Leasing Solutions.
Media Contact l Kirsten Regel, Vice President of Marketing l kregel@vantageone.net
Dear Commercial Members,
The VantageOne Credit Union Commercial Services Team wants to assure you that we will continue to support our member businesses and organizations during these financially uncertain times. If you’re facing financial challenges as a result of COVID-19 or the economic downturn, we’re here to help. Below is some further information about the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA).
What is the current status of this program at VantageOne?
VantageOne will be able to offer this program and we are actively working with our partners and the federal government to launch the CEBA program to our members as soon as possible.
Why has it taken this long?
The government is working through a process to get hundreds of financial institutions set up across Canada. We assure you that this is a top priority for our team and we have all available resources focused and working to get ready to launch this program as soon as it is made available to us. We are on the official list, in the queue and hopeful our turn will be within the next week.
How will I know the program has launched?
You will receive an email from us once the application goes live. Updates will also be posted on our website homepage, in our online COVID-19 Resource Centre and social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn) when it is available and will include more information on how to apply.
Preparing to apply
We will be ready to accept applications soon. You can get ready by:
1.) Review the criteria to determine if your business is eligible. Click Here
2.) Locate the documents you will require to apply:
Please do not hesitate to reach out to the Commercial Services Team with any questions or concerns you may have. We appreciate your business and hope that we can work to address issues so you can focus on the well-being of yourself, your family, staff and company.
Sincerely,
The Commercial Services Team
1.250.545.9251 or 1.877.545.1957
info@vantageone.net
These supports include:
*New – Reduced interest rate
Effective April 13, 2020, the interest rate has been reduced to 10.9% for up to six months when cardholders contact Collabria and request financial relief due to COVID-19.
Minimum payment deferral
Deferral of ‘minimum due’ payments and the promotional interest rate bundle can be approved for up to three months at a time for cardholders affected by COVID-19. Cardholders can call in after three months to extend to six months, if needed.
Increased ‘contactless’ transaction limits
Limits have been increased to $250 for all cardholders across all merchant (grocery, convenience stores and pharmacies) categories, wherever these merchants have enabled acceptance of higher contactless transactions.
Balance transfers
Members can consider consolidating higher interest rate loans and credit card balances.
Unfortunately, reports of scams and fraudulent activities continue. Members should be vigilant. Know that Collabria Financial will never send emails asking for confidential information such as passwords, PINs or credit card numbers.
If you are experiencing financial hardship due to the impacts of COVID-19, please call Collabria’s contact centre at 1-855-341-4643. The Collabria team will work with you to discuss how they may be able to help.
Like others, Collabria’s contact centres are receiving an unprecedented volume of calls from cardholders needing our assistance. One way to avoid longer wait times on the phone is to use MyCardInfo, an online credit card management tool for everyday activities. Visit www.collabriacreditcards.ca and select VantageOne Credit Union.
Everyday activities include:
Manage your Canada Revenue Agency Direct Deposit Information with VantageOne Credit Union!
VantageOne can help you sign up for direct deposit or update your direct deposit information with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). We encourage you to use direct deposit to avoid any delays and receive your payments faster!
You can receive these CRA payments through direct deposit:
‐ Income tax refund
‐ Canada child benefit
‐ Goods and services tax/harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) credit
‐ Canada workers benefit
‐ Related provincial and territorial payments
‐ The new Canada Emergency Response Benefit
To sign up for direct deposit or update your personal details, login to your VantageOne Online
Banking on a desktop computer (the form can ONLY be completed using a desktop computer).
Steps:
1.) Log into online banking
2.) From the left navigation menu, go to “Account Services”
3.) Select Setup CRA Direct Deposit
4.) Follow the steps as indicated to complete
It is important to note:
– This implementation only collects data to be submitted to CRA.
– Members must check to see their enrollment on the CRA website (it may take a minimum 1-2 business days).
– If an individual has never filed a tax return with the CRA, they are not eligible to sign up for the CRA direct deposit service through their financial institution.
– The CRA has confirmed that the Canada Emergency Response Benefit only supports SIN-based payouts and are not applicable to loans currently being provided for small businesses with a Business Number. Small businesses with a Business Number will be able to update their Direct Deposit information through their My Business Account portal on the CRA page.
Further Information
VantageOne Credit Union is proud to partner with The Peachland Chamber of Commerce to support local Peachland businesses.
Through the website (This Special Event Has ended) you can purchase a gift card from a local business to help them get through these unprecedented times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. VantageOne Credit Union is covering the admin and processing fees of this program to ensure that all local businesses get 100% of the profits.
Show you love and support for a local business by purchasing a gift card for them.
Important Notice – Temporary Closure of Main Branch Teller Line & Reduction of Hours
Update June 1, 2020
Effective Monday June 1, 2020 our Vernon North Branch hours have been extended to:
Monday to Friday 10:00am to 4:00pm and Saturday 10:00am to 2:00pm.
All other branch hours remain the same, view our branch hours here.
March 30, 2020
Effective Monday, March 30, 2020:
Teller Services including deposits and cash services at our Main Branch location will be closed.
We are encouraging our members to utilize our remote banking solutions and call our Solutions Centre BEFORE you visit a branch. Contact Us.
Please note the following adjusted hours for each branch:
2021 Monthly Updates
Update 3
May, 2021
To the Members of VantageOne,
Spring is here and we are pleased to see that progress is being made against the pandemic! This month we continue to see positive economic activity, we just might be winning against the pandemic, our AGM went digital again this year and we have a new convenient online booking system for your financial planning or consumer banking needs! Here is this month’s update:
Economic Update – Our economy continues to slowly recover putting upward pressure on prices and interest rates. As mentioned in my last update, interest rates in our economy haven’t spiked upward; however, we continue to see a slight drift up in rates and inflation for April was higher than expected at a 3.4% increase.
The balancing factor here is the strength of the Canadian dollar, now above 83 cents US or around $1.21 Canadian to purchase one US dollar. Strengthening of the Canadian dollar is usually not a good thing for Canadian Exports; however, at this point in the economic cycle, it could prove valuable to reduce the impact of inflationary pressures on imports.
Time will tell if this occurs or if the strong dollar will provide headwinds to our economy. Locally, our real estate market continues to be very strong, with demand coming more from the lower mainland than in previous cycles where demand came from Alberta and other prairie provinces. Overall, BC and our region should be well-positioned to benefit from the reopening of our economy and trade flows normalizing.
Pandemic Update – A historic press conference took place on May 25th where our Public Health Officer shared a very positive outlook and a four-step reopening plan for our province. The work and sacrifices we have done have paid off and the vaccination rates for our province are very strong allowing a full reopening by September if everything goes according to plan.
As many of you know, Phase 1 of the plan was started on May 25th, Phase 2 starts on June 15th, Phase 3 on July 1st and Phase 4 on September 7th. We look forward to continued progress towards a full reopening in September.
VantageOne Response to Reopening – We will continue to follow in-force health orders and WorkSafe BC guidelines as we move through the reopening phases. At this time, we are still working to understand all the phases and will share changes as we adjust our safety plans to meet new reopening requirements. We are hopeful we can return to “normal” early in the fall.
Digital AGM completed in May – with pandemic restrictions still in place, we held our Annual General Meeting in a digital format again this year. It was quick and allowed many members who are unable to attend an AGM in-person to participate. View election results here.
As a result of the past two years, The Ministry of Finance in BC is now moving to make it possible to hold digital AGM’s in the future for all provincial financial institutions. The goal is to allow more people to attend AGM’s, even if they aren’t physically able to. We believe that a hybrid model may make the most sense in the future, some in-person and still offer the availability to digitally connect for those unable to attend in-person. We do miss speaking with many of our members and will pursue a more two-way communication system for next year’s AGM. A big thank you to all of those who attended!
Online Appointment Booking Now Available – Have you ever thought about the need to schedule a meeting with one of our consumer account managers or financial advisors and it is 9pm at night? Well, you can book the meeting right there and then through our new online appointment booking system! Book with an Account Manager or a Financial Advisor.
Member Feedback Survey – At VantageOne, we appreciate your business and want to make sure we meet your expectations. Please help us improve our service and systems by taking the time to answer our survey.
The survey will take approx 5-10 minutes to complete and the answers you provide will be reviewed by our CEO, senior leadership team, and managers. You will also be entered into our draw for $50 gift cards from local businesses as a thank you for your participation. Take our survey here.
Once again, I want to share some good news stories that are examples that we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER:
Helping Funtastic Raise Money through a Raffle – Funtastic has been hit hard by the pandemic, having to cancel their event two years in a row. As many of you know, they are not just a weekend tournament, they are a key funding source for many parts of our community, using the money to enhance sport and recreation in our region. To help generate funds this year they have turned to a raffle system where you can win some great prizes. Check them out here.
Thank you all for your continued support and understanding during these challenging times and remember – We Are Stronger Together!
Be Safe Everyone and thank you for Choosing VantageOne!
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
Update 2
March, 2021
Hello everyone in the VantageOne land, the sun has emerged, and it looks like our transition to spring is upon us. This month we are seeing upward pressures on interest rates, the pandemic is still with us, our building update project is nearing completion and the local real estate market is on fire! Here is this month’s update:
Economic Update – Since the start of 2021 we have seen upward movement in interest rates both in Canada and in the United States. What causes this increase? The answer is inflationary pressures in our economy. This is the general rise in prices of goods and services in our society and the expectation of higher prices in the future causing rate increases. What causes these pressures and how fast will rates rise? Great questions!
Inflation is primarily caused by three factors: Push, Pull and Currency valuation. Push inflation is prices rising due to supplier costs going up. Suppliers can face many cost pressures (materials, labour, taxes, weather etc.) and the transfer of these costs are “pushed” to consumers causing prices to rise and inflation.
Pull inflation is when consumer demand and spending grow. This is a situation where employment and wages are strong, financial institutions are lending and there is a lot of demand in the market. Finally, a countries’ currency can influence inflation with no changes to push or pull factors. As a currency declines, goods become more costly, and prices must rise to account for currency-based inflation.
So where are we at currently? We do have push inflation from higher commodity prices, pull inflation with very low-interest rates and our currency is stable and strengthening at this time, so we expect to see a slow upward move in inflation over the next couple of quarters, how sustained it will be is not known at this time and will most likely be determined by wage growth in our economy. Our central banks are not concerned about inflation at this time and don’t see any changes to prime rate interest rates until 2023. Based on all of this, we can expect a small “drift” up in non-prime rate-based interest rates; however, nothing dramatic is expected.
Pandemic Update – With Vaccines now available we cannot let our guard down. Our cases continue to rise in the province, we are now at 1701 cases per 100,000 people (Deloitte Canada) up from below 50 in early spring last year ago. We are now approaching close to 1 Million diagnosed cases in Canada, fortunately, the fatality case rate has been declining and sits at 2.46%. Mass immunization has commenced in Canada, we are slightly behind some other countries; however, are looking at a path to majority population immunization by summer, a very positive sign. The challenge today is reminding ourselves we are not fully immunized yet and need to continue to be careful, especially with the new variants that have emerged. That is why we are maintaining current protocols for the protection of our staff and our members. We will continue to monitor our province’s progress and health orders and will make adjustments as we learn more. As a reminder, our Solutions Centre Staff, Account Managers and Financial Advisors are all digitally enabled and have the tools to meet virtually as needed. Connect with us (https://www.vantageone.net/about/contact-us/) to find out more if you are interested in learning more.
Main Building Exterior Update – Our main branch building in Vernon is nearing completion of the exterior update to replace the tiles. We are finishing an update to the south entrance area and are finalizing signage with the City of Vernon so this can be put back up. We look forward to the full completion of this project in the coming couple of months.
March is Fraud Prevention Month – with the move to digital there is an increase in the importance of fraud prevention and education. VantageOne is here for you, with resources and information to assist you. Our advice is simple, be careful and if you have any questions contact us. It’s that simple! Hang up from who you are talking or connecting to and contact us directly if you have any questions. Learn more
Once again, I want to share a good news story that is an example of how we are truly STRONGER TOGETHER:
Helping our Small Businesses – a big part of managing through the pandemic has been working with our small business owners to provide access to government loan programs. I would like to recognize our commercial team who have simply been amazing! Not only processing these loans but educating our members on what is available and how it works. As with most large government programs, sometimes it doesn’t run very smoothly; however, with the great work of our team, we have been able to help 156 members for over $8.1 Million in government support loans. Thank you to our commercial team for making this happen and for the patience of our members who understood that navigating these programs wasn’t always straightforward.
Thank you all for your continued support and understanding during these challenging times and remember – We Are Stronger Together! Be Safe Everyone and thank you for Choosing VantageOne!
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
Update 1
January, 2021
Hello everyone in the VantageOne land,
With 2020 now over we look forward to more optimism in 2021 as we hope to leave the challenges of 2020 behind us. This month we continue to experience the second wave of the virus spread in our province causing major challenges in our society. Here is your member update for January:
• Economic Update – The end of 2020 was strong for our province as retail sales eclipsed $8 billion in November for the very first time (Central1 Credit Union) and we have seen year over year spending increase 11.1%. Unfortunately, this strong November rolled into a subdued December and January as the Pandemic continued to gain strength and impact our economy. We expect to see reduced retail sales activity in the province over the last couple of months with lockdowns impacting economic activity.
As I have mentioned previously, spending has been diverted in our economy from restaurants and travel to the home (up 14%) and sporting goods and recreation shops (up 41%). Anyone looking to purchase a bike can attest to the challenges with supply in this sector. Although spending has been diverted, inflation remains under control with inflation at 0.7% in December.
Locally, our real estate market remains strong with residential sales to inventory ratio at 39% and when we dive into single-family housing, we see this ratio spike to 52%, a very high ratio. Looking forward to 2021 there is still a lot of uncertainty about the pandemic and when we will see relief through vaccination efforts. With interest rates remaining low for the foreseeable future, we can expect continued strong activity in our region; however, challenges will remain for the tourism hospitality sector.
• Pandemic Update – Vaccines are now available, however, we cannot let our guard down. Our cases continue to rise in the province, we are now at 1,243 cases per 100,000 people (Deloitte Canada) up from below 50 eight months ago. As a result, we have had additional health orders and strong encouragement from our Provincial Health Officer to remain vigilant and work to slow the spread of the virus. New variants of the virus are also causing concern and something we all need to be aware of. To do our part we have been able to implement solutions to make remote services possible and we encourage members to utilize and experience our technology, it can actually be very personal. Here are a few solutions:
• Video Chat – through our website we offer both traditional chat and video chat services. For those who need something quickly done a textbase web chat may be all you need; however, for others who need to explain their situation further you can engage with us using a video chat. Through EasyConnect (https://www.vantageone.net/tools/online-chat/) you will see our staff and be able to do a “virtual in-person” chat through your computer, tablet or cell phone. To access, click on the chat button on our web site and experience the magic!
• Virtual Meetings – for transactions that are more complicated and require a meeting with your Account Manager we offer the EasyConnect (https://www.vantageone.net/tools/online-chat/) Virtual Meeting solution. Your account manager will send you a link, and when it is your appointment time, you simply click the link and you’ll be automatically connected! No user names, no passwords, just an Easy Way to Connect (EasyConnect (https://www.vantageone.net/tools/online-chat/) of course). Ask about a virtual meeting when you book with your account manager.
• Digital Signature Solution – It’s great to have a virtual meeting but what do we do when documents need to be signed? We have a solution for that – a digital signature program that provides secure execution of the documents. We have now completed over 1,200 digital documents with our members and this continues to grow as we save time and improve the safety of document completion. Your Account Manager will go over this with you, nothing you need to do.
• Main Building Exterior Update – Pleased to share that the exterior stucco is now completed on the building and our work now moves to completing the south entrance area and getting signage placed back on our building. It is nice to have the tiles all removed and no longer have the risk of falling tiles. Full completion of the project will be done over the next month.
• Union Contract Settled – As many members are aware, we have reached a settlement with the union that represents 33 of our employees. It is always unfortunate to have these processes reach an impasse; however, we were able to come to an agreement on a four-year contract and look to moving forward.
• RRSP Season is here – It’s that time of year again as many members look to planning their RRSP contributions to address their tax situations. This year we have an RRSP Loan Catch-Up special (https://www.vantageone.net/rrsp-catch-up-loan-promo/) so that those with unused contribution room can take full advantage of the amount of money they can contribute. Contact us (https://www.vantageone.net/about/contact-us/) for more details to ensure you get your contribution in before March 1^st for the 2020 taxation year.
Once again, I want to share a good news story that is examples that we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER:
Long Term Credit Union Leader Retiring – three years ago we had a long-term credit union leader, Ted Morrison, join our organization to lead our commercial banking area. Ted has a long history within the credit union system, working for 10 credit unions from Saskatchewan to BC. Growing up on a farm on the prairies means the credit union values were embedded into his system from a young age and he worked tirelessly to assist with rehabilitating small credit unions and advancing growth within the credit union system.
Whenever we think of Ted we think of “Ted-isms” terms that a prairie boy makes up to explain the world we live in, just makes everyone laugh. We would like to thank Ted for his service to VantageOne and wish him all the best in retirement and a big thank you for your service to the Credit Union system in Canada.
Thank you all for your continued support and understanding during these challenging times and remember – We Are Stronger Together! Be Safe Everyone and thank you for Choosing VantageOne!
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
2020 Monthly Updates
December Update
November Update
To The Members of VantageOne,
Hello everyone in the VantageOne land, after a cold October, November is turning out to be milder than expected and the snow seems to be staying in the mountains, just as I like it This month we are experiencing the second wave of the virus spread in our province causing major challenges in our society.
On this background, here is your VantageOne update for November:
• Economic Update – Consumer spending is the largest part of our economy in Canada. As a result, keeping an eye on retail sales is very important to get a sense of the overall health of the economy. After a sharp decline earlier this year, retail sales have swayed to the upside, up 11.2% in September, unadjusted year over year (Central 1 Credit Union). This increase was driven by housing-related expenditures and vehicle sales. This is not surprising given the “stay at home” nature of the pandemic making us focus on home renovations and equipment as well as vehicle replacements. I spoke to one dealership who was receiving 12 new trucks in the month of November, all of these vehicles were sold!
The weakest area of spending growth was surprisingly in clothing. It is clear online ordering is up; however, my sense is we still miss the visits to the stores where we can see, feel, touch and try on clothes prior to purchasing. It will be interesting to follow this area as we move past the pandemic. Turning to housing, we continue to see a very robust real estate market, up an unadjusted 45% in October over the same month in 2019. The sales to inventory ratio was an amazing 49% in October for the North Okanagan, telling us that if you list it, it will sell quickly.
Low-interest rates, a good unemployment rate for middle-income earners and people relocating from large centres to the Okanagan are driving activity in our region. This is expected to continue; however, we do expect a slight drop in these very elevated home sales levels.
• Pandemic Update – We are now experiencing what we were hoping to avoid, the second wave! Our cases continue to rise across the province. We are now at 498 cases per 100,000 people (Deloitte Canada) up from below 50 six months ago. This has resulted in new health orders, masks required at all indoor facilities, increased screening at worksites around the province and closures of certain businesses.
This is a very challenging time for our society, as we struggle with balancing social health with economic activity. It is hopeful that the protocols and systems we have put in place will work well as we move through this wave and the government programs to support those impacted by the pandemic, will remain to keep our economy going. The vaccine news has been very positive over the past month; however, I don’t expect that we will see its mass implementation until mid-2021 so we must be prepared to live through the next few quarters.
As a reminder of what we are doing to slow the spread of the virus we have the following:
• Limited Branch Hours – Limiting branch hours provides reduced exposure opportunities, while still keeping services available.
• Masks are Mandatory – in all of our locations and allow greater protection between members and with our staff as well as allowing us to queue members inside as the weather gets colder. Remember “We Wear Because We Care” and our goal is to ensure everyone stays safe during this challenging time.
• Solutions Centre Open to Serve You Remotely – Did you know you can do just about everything through the Solutions Centre right from the comfort of your home? Well you can and you have three great ways to connect with us: Phone, Chat and Video Chat, you choose the best solution for you.
• Main Branch & Admin Building Exterior Update – after a few sleepless nights with the cold weather in October showing up, we are pleased to share that the stucco on the outside of the building is complete and the building’s winter jacket is coming down. There is still work on the lower part of the building and south side of the building to be done; however, the scaffolding will soon be removed making it easier to access the building.
• ClickSWITCH Makes Transferring Easy – one of the challenges I hear from many members is the challenge to switch over all your pre-authorized debits and credits to VantageOne. We have the solution now with a product called Clickswitch. This solution is free and allows you or one of our staff to transfer your direct deposits or automatic payments to VantageOne all through one convenient tool in a matter of minutes! Learn more here.
• *NEW Online Appointment Booking with Wealth Management – Our most important goal is to deliver a WOW experience to you! In the past year, we have expanded services with our Solutions Center and Account Managers by offering live chat and live video meetings with EasyConnect. Now, we are excited to announce that our Wealth Department is able to offer you easy access to appointment booking with our advisors through an online bookings calendar. It’s convenient, easy to use and available 24/7!
Check it out here and book in to see one of our local wealth management experts!
Once again, I want to share some good news stories that are examples that we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER:
• Branch Dresses Up as a Member! – One of our branches was struggling to decide on what to dress up as on Halloween. Then a regular member came in, dressed in what the member calls “his redneck” outfit. Well, that is all the team needed, they decided to dress up as “Keith” for Halloween. When Keith came into the branch, he said hey, you are all dressed up like rednecks! Then he looked closer, “hey, you are all dressed up as me!”. The fun went forward from there, Keith was touched that the staff would make such an effort, so they had to take some pictures with their “Redneck leader”. This is a great reminder that through this year’s challenges it remains all about the people – YOU, our members!
Thank you all for your continued support and understanding during these challenging times and remember – We Are Stronger Together! Be Safe Everyone and thank you for Choosing VantageOne!
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
October Update
To The Members of VantageOne,
Hello everyone in VantageOne land, the cold weather arrived quickly this year, from warm to cold in a weekend; however, we have the benefit of the beautiful colours in our region. This month we are still fighting the challenging virus, which may cause some challenges this winter, our federal government has announced more support and the provincial election is nearing. Here is your VantageOne update for October:
Once again, I want to share some good news stories that are examples that we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER:
Thank you all for your continued support and understanding during these challenging times and remember – We Are Stronger Together!
Be Safe Everyone and thank you for Choosing VantageOne!
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
September Update
To the Members of VantageOne,
Hello, everyone in the VantageOne family, with fall arriving in our beautiful area we haven’t seen the virus disappear, seem to have politicians who want elections and an economy that is recovering but still has challenges. Here is your VantageOne update for September:
Once again, I want to share some good news stories that are examples that we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER:
Thank you all for your continued support and understanding during these challenging times and remember – We Are Stronger Together!
Be Safe Everyone and thank you for Choosing VantageOne!
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
August Update
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July 23, 2020
Hello everyone,
As we move to monthly updates, I will keep you informed on what is happening from a financial perspective and what is going on at VantageOne. As we continue to deal with the pandemic, staying informed is the best thing we can do! Here is your update for July:
Once again, I want to share some good news stories that are examples that we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER:
Thank you all for your continued support and understanding during these challenging times and remember – We Are Stronger Together!
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
July 3, 2020
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June 19, 2020
Hello everyone,
We continue to see success in BC with our Pandemic Response allowing our communities to open up further. We are now in Phase 2 of our open up and expect to move to Phase 3 allowing even more of a move back to a new normal. It’s great to see our success; however, I encourage everyone to remain vigilant, the virus has not ended, we are just socially managing it effectively.
Our continued success moving forward will be to ensure we carefully manage our social re-openings, and we are seeing many businesses doing great things in this area, a very good sign. So remain vigilant and let’s make our recovery here in BC the best in the world!
Here is this week’s update of what’s going on at VantageOne:
• Pandemic Reopening Plan – With the BC Economy starting to re-open, we continue to be careful in our reopening plans. The Pandemic is not gone, we have just done a very good job here in BC to manage the spread and impact. As a result, we are limiting our re-opening to extending our North Vernon branch hours out to 4pm and we will have protocols in place for in-office meetings the week of June 22nd.
Main branch will remain closed due to this building being our administration centre. Limiting access reduces the risk of a potential outbreak at this location. All other locations will remain as is for the time being and we will continue to monitor how the Pandemic evolves and any changes to our response model needed.
• Thank You for Your Survey Feedback! We held a survey to get feedback from members on how we are doing with our Pandemic Response and any other needs you have. We are pleased to report that we got a satisfaction rating of 4.3 stars out of 5 stars for our response! It is great to see validation for all the work we have done; we thank you all for your honest feedback.
When we asked what your needs are the overwhelming feedback was longer branch hours and in-branch appointments. We are responding to this as we have extended our North Vernon branch hours and we have protocols in place for in-branch appointments starting June 22nd. We are hitting the right notes and will check back again with you in the future to ensure we are staying on track.
• How do I transfer money to someone? We get this question a lot, how do I get money to someone else quickly and easily? Lots of options to choose from depending on the circumstances:
1. Low Tech – Take Out Cash and Give to Them – The oldest way to transfer money, just give cash! You can take cash out from one of our ATMs or through a branch, then just give to someone. This is a problem though if the person is far away or if the amount is quite large.
2. Next Low Tech – Write a Cheque – The second oldest way to transfer money is the good old fashion cheque! Yes, they are still around; however, I know some of our younger members wouldn’t even know how to complete one.
3. Member to Member Transfer – are you transferring money to a fellow member of VantageOne? If the answer is yes, very easy for us to process this transfer for you, just contact our Solutions Centre and BAM it can be done!
4. Domestic Transfer – Interac E-Transfer – If you need to send money to someone in Canada, who deals with a Canadian Bank, you can use our App and send the money through Interac e-Transfer. There is a limit of $3000 for these transfers, but it is quick and easy to do.
5. Domestic Transfer Large Amount – Wire Transfer – This has to be done through our Solutions Centre, so you will need to connect with us and provide all the details on who and where you are sending the money and we can get this done for you.
6. International Transfer of Money – Wire Transfer – Sending money internationally can be a challenge, we can do this all through our Solutions Centre and send it right to a financial institution in the country you need. The timing and cost associated with these transfers can vary so you will need to chat with us about the specific area you need to send your funds.
7. Be Careful with Other Tech Options – there are many providers saying will transfer funds for you, be careful you know who the company is and that they are reputable.
Once again, I want to share some good news stories that are examples that we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER:
• Doing Business on the Tailgate of a Truck – even with all the technology we are utilizing, there are times where we need to have a document signed. This occurred with one of our account managers, who couldn’t meet with the member in her office as we aren’t fully ready for this, so she adapted and the interview and signing took place on the tailgate of the members truck! Ok, not the best, but we made it work and thank you to our Account Manager for thinking of this and our member for making this all work
Thank you all for your continued support and understanding during these challenging times and remember – We Are Stronger Together!
Be Safe Everyone and Thank You for Choosing VantageOne and Enjoy the Father’s Day Weekend!
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
June 5, 2020
Hello VantageOne Nation,
I think we can call British Columbia a success! We are in the process of reopening our economy, returning kids to school and we have not seen any virus spikes, and where outbreaks have occurred, we are effectively responding. This is what success looks like, and we should all be proud of playing a part of a great initial response to the pandemic and continue to stay the course and maintain our success. I know we don’t hear this often but Great Job Everyone! Here is this week’s update to keep you in the loop of what’s going on at VantageOne:
Once again, I want to share some good news stories that are examples that we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER:
Thank you all for your continued support and understanding during these challenging times and remember – We Are Stronger Together!
Be Safe Everyone and thank you for Choosing VantageOne!
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
May 22, 2020
Hello VantageOne Nation,
After almost two months of the COVID-19 Pandemic, we are starting to see signs of our economy reopening and some advances in medical research being done. This will; however, be a slow and careful process to ensure we can avoid a second or third wave of outbreak. Here is this week’s update to keep you in the loop:
Once again, I want to share some good news stories that are examples that we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER:
These remain challenging times; we will get through this and your credit union is here and able to provide support. We appreciate your understanding as we continue to implement response programs and always remember – We Are Stronger Together!
Be Safe Everyone and thank you for Choosing VantageOne!
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
May 8, 2020
To Members of VantageOne,
As we continue to deal with these unprecedented times, we hope that these updates provide good information on what VantageOne is doing to respond and ideas on how you can adjust how you do things to make banking easier. In addition, we provide information to take advantage of all the programs now available from the different levels of government. There is a lot going on, our goal is to keep you informed and never hesitate to contact us for more information or questions you may have, we are here for you!
For this week’s update, here is what’s happening in VantageOne nation:
Once again, I want to share some good news stories of members that are examples that we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER:
A Story from a Long-Term Member – One of our managers was monitoring the front door at our main branch and ran into a long-time member with a great story to share:
“One of our “senior” members came into the ATM vestibule. I asked how I could help him. He said he had some cash to deposit. I asked if he had an ATM card and he said “No, I’m 86 years old and I never have used one”. So, I explained that we could use the night deposit. He was agreeable. While we were preparing an envelope for night deposit, the gentlemen started telling me his story;
“I’ve been a member of this Credit Union since 1963. When I first moved to this area, I got into the orchard industry and not one of the big banks would even talk to me. This Credit Union took a chance and even though I lost money for the first 9 years, the Credit Union stuck with me. I will never bank anywhere else. After a few years, I sold the orchard and got into an industrial wholesale parts wholesale business and made a fortune. Sold that business when I was 54 and I’ve been a “bum” ever since.” He said that with the most genuine smile and a twinkle in his eye.” Our manager just had to laugh, and thanked him for his trust in us and his patronage over the years.
These remain challenging times; we will get through this and your credit union is here and able to provide support. We appreciate your understanding as we continue to implement response programs and always remember – We Are Stronger Together!
Be safe everyone and Thank You for choosing VantageOne!
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
April 24, 2o2o
To the Members of VantageOne,
Hi everyone, I hope you are all keeping safe and sane! All the changes with this pandemic have made life quite a challenge. Never would I have thought I would be looking into the window of a store to ensure they haven’t reached their customer limit. Lots of our local stores are following the protocol very well and I applaud their efforts to keep providing services to their customers while doing it safely.
Our teams are doing the same for you. An excellent effort has been put forth by our teams and I’m sure you would all join me in saying a big thank you to them. Here is an update on what is happening at VantageOne:
In this time of challenge, I also want to share a good news story about our staff and a member that is an example of how we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER:
These remain challenging times; we will get through this and your credit union is here and able to provide support. We appreciate your understanding as we continue to implement response programs and always remember – We Are Stronger Together!
Stay Safe Everyone,
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
April 9, 2020
To The Members of VantageOne,
It’s amazing how over a few short weeks our world can change so much! Just going to the store or renewing your auto insurance has become a challenging task. We understand that these changes impact our members and have been working hard to balance our actions to address the pandemic while continuing to offer service to our members. We thank you again for your support in all the changes we have made. To keep you in the loop of what is happening at VantageOne, here is an update:
In this time of challenge, I also want to share some good news stories of members that are examples that we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER:
These remain challenging times; we will get through this and your credit union is here and able to provide support. We appreciate your understanding as we continue to implement response programs and always remember – We Are Stronger Together!
Happy Easter and Be Safe Everyone!
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
March 30, 2020
To The Members of VantageOne,
As we all have seen, the past month has brought us unprecedented change. We are greatly appreciative to our staff who have risen to the challenges and changes as we moved along and to our members who have been patient and understanding. As the pandemic continues, I provide the following important updates:
In this time of challenge, I also want to share some good news stories of members helping members and members learning easy new ways to deal with us, examples that we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER:
These remain challenging times; we will get through this and your credit union is here and able to provide support. We appreciate your understanding as we continue to implement response programs and always remember – We Are Stronger Together!
Be Safe Everyone,
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
March 19, 2020
To The Members of VantageOne,
We are in exceptional times with a virus Pandemic not experienced in our modern history. There are a lot of unknowns as we move forward; however, we are confident in the management of our government leaders and health experts that we will be able to minimize the impact and move past this virus outbreak. Given this, we need to all remain calm and work together as we experience things we have never experienced before – We are stronger together! Some information to share as we go through this is as follows:
These are very challenging times; your credit union is here to support all our people through this and appreciate your calm and understanding as we implement response programs and always remember – We Are Stronger Together!
Sincerely,
Glenn Benischek
President and Chief Executive Officer
July 27, 2020 – Its’s now easier than ever to connect with our local experts, learn more about EasyConnect below!
EasyConnect – Easy to use. Safe and secure. Connect with our Solutions Centre via phone, chat or our *NEW live video feature!
Live Chat
Connecting with you at your convenience is important to us. That’s why we offer secure live chat!
In the bottom right corner of every page on our website there is a chat icon, click that and you are on your way to chatting with one of our local experts in real-time!
*NEW Video Chat
Begin a chat. Then click on the video icon on the bottom right-hand side of the chat window to start a video call with one of our local Solutions Centre representatives!
Video chat appointments are also available with our account managers. Contact us to book an appointment.
Hours of Operation
Connect with us:
Monday to Friday 8:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday 9:00am – 3:00pm
June 1, 2020
Effective Monday June 1, 2020 our Vernon North Branch hours have been extended to:
Monday to Friday 10:00am to 4:00pm and Saturday 10:00am to 2:00pm.
All other branch hours remain the same and our Vernon Main branch is still closed, view our branch hours here.
April 9, 2020
IN BRANCH APPOINTMENT PROTOCOL AT VANTAGEONE CREDIT UNION
Thank you for your continued support and understanding. Some further measures that we have taken at this time include:
As always, we are here to support you. For further information and financial well-being supports for our members and businesses, please visit our website at www.vantageone.net and ask our staff about remote & mobile banking options.
March 17, 2019
IN BRANCH APPOINTMENT PROTOCOL AT VANTAGEONE CREDIT UNION
During this unprecedented time, we realize that our members need us now more than ever for advice and support regarding their financial well-being. Currently, our branches are remaining open and our staff are here to assist you in person, online and on the phone.
As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to evolve, we have decided to implement some further precautions in addition to the ones posted in our notice dated March 12, 2020, in order to help keep our members and staff protected.
Going forward, please be prepared that our staff will be asking you these questions before assisting you during an appointment:
If you answer YES, to any one of these questions, we will be asking to conduct the appointment with you over the telephone instead of in person, at the branch.
If you answer NO, to any of the questions above, we will conduct the appointment as usual with you. Please be assured that our offices are being cleaned ahead of member appointments as well as after.
While in branch, please also adhere to the following social distancing protocol as set forth by various health organizations across Canada which includes:
As always, we are here to support you. For further information and financial well-being supports for our members and businesses, please visit our website at www.vantageone.net and ask our staff about remote & mobile banking options.
– VantageOne Credit Union Staff & Board
March 12, 2020
At VantageOne Credit Union, we want you to know that the health and safety of our members, staff and community are top priority.
In line with recommendations from Health Canada, here are a few of the precautionary steps we have taken during this recent outbreak of COVID-19:
At this time, based on the current state of our business operations, the direction laid out in our Business Continuity Plan and Pandemic Plan and the guidelines set forth by various health agencies, we feel assured that our branches remain safe for our members, staff and community. Therefore, we are continuing to operate as normal. The situation is being monitored, and any changes to this plan that may impact members will be communicated to you.
For members that wish to minimize their public exposure, we offer digital banking services available 24/7 including online and mobile banking, smartphone apps and Interac® e-transfers. You can also reach our Solutions Centre for assistance and banking over the telephone at:
1.888.339.8328.
8:00 am – 5:00 pm Monday – Friday
9:00 am – 3:00 pm Saturday
– VantageOne Credit Union Staff & Board
Toll Free: 1.888.339.8328
Phone: 250.545.9251
Fax: 1.877.545.1957
© 2023 VantageOne Credit Union.