Île-à-la-Crosse Advice Centre/Branch Officially Open
The Innovation Île-à-la-Crosse advice centre/branch officially opened on November 15, 2023. The credit union in partnership with Île-à-la-Crosse Cooperative Association, has established financial services in the northern community of Île-à-la-Crosse.
“This was a really good day,” says Innovation Chief Disruption Officer, Dean Gagne. “It shows if people are willing to work together, like Île-à-la-Crosse Cooperative Association, we can make things happen collectively. Bringing banking services to the north has been needed for a very long time.”
“I've been on Innovation’s Board of Directors for 23 years and I've never attended the opening of a new branch location,” says Innovation Board Chair Russ Siemens. “I've attended re-openings after renovations, but I've never attended a ceremony where we partnered with the members of a community, to bring financial services to them. What we did on November 15th was so significant.”
The advice centre is located within the Île-à-la-Crosse Co-op and offers the following member experience:
- No-Fee Bank Accounts
- Free Interac e-transfer® services
- Cheque deposits and cash services
- Loans, mortgages, and lines of credit
- ATM services (during Co-op business hours)
- Virtual and onsite access to helpful advisors
“I'd like to thank Innovation for working with us and putting forth this long-term commitment to Île-à-la-Crosse, the community members, and supporting community initiatives as we move forward, “says Île-à-la-Crosse Mayor, Duane Favel. “Easier banking access for community members is extremely important and you don't know how appreciative we are, in terms of building this partnership with the community and providing the services you know that we long for.”
Kevin Raymond, President of Île-à-la-Crosse Cooperative Association says he’s seen the value of Innovation’s partnership with the community of Île-à-la-Crosse already. “I’ve already seen proof from this relationship. Innovation donated to our splash park. There’s a community fund here and we have about $3,000 in that fund that we have given to minor hockey. And I'm just excited to be able to do my banking, if I need to, without having to brave the wild roads and we all know how those get once in a while.”
Official opening ceremonies took place at the advice centre on November 15th. The event included a ribbon cutting ceremony, treats, coffee, a hotdog lunch, and door prizes.