First West Credit Union
Encyclopedia
First West Credit Union is the third-largest credit union in British Columbia
by asset size following Vancity
and Coast Capital Savings
. Led by Chief Executive Officer Launi Skinner and with approximately 167,000 members and $6.2 billion in assets under administration, First West was formed in January 2010 when Envision Financial
in Langley
amalgamated with Valley First Credit Union based in Penticton. Previously, Delta Credit Union and First Heritage Savings merged on Jan. 1, 2001 to form Envision Financial.
First West has 37 branches and 29 insurance offices located throughout the Lower Mainland
, Fraser Valley
, Kitimat, Thompson-Okanagan and Similkameen
regions. Envision and Valley First operate as divisions of First West, retaining their pre-merger brands. Envision’s president is Bev Brown, while Paulette Rennie is president of the Valley First division.
First West’s subsidiary businesses include First West Capital, Envision Investment Services Ltd., Envision Insurance Services Ltd., CU Dealerlink Ltd., Envision Leasing Ltd., Valley First Insurance Services Ltd. and Valley First Financial Services Ltd.
Magazine has named Envision Financial one of the “50 Best Employers in Canada.” Envision is also designated as a Caring Company by Imagine Canada.
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
by asset size following Vancity
Vancity
Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, commonly referred to as Vancity, is a member-owned financial institution in Vancouver, British Columbia and the largest English-speaking credit union in Canada...
and Coast Capital Savings
Coast Capital Savings
Coast Capital Savings is a credit union based in Surrey, British Columbia, and is the third largest credit union in Canada outside of Quebec. As of 2010, the credit union had $12.3 billion in assets under administration and 454,000 members...
. Led by Chief Executive Officer Launi Skinner and with approximately 167,000 members and $6.2 billion in assets under administration, First West was formed in January 2010 when Envision Financial
Envision Financial
Envision Financial, a division of First West Credit Union, is a member-owned financial institution based in British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1946, Envision Financial was established in 2001 through a merger between Lower Mainland-based Delta Credit Union, whose roots were in the fishing...
in Langley
Langley, British Columbia (city)
The City of Langley is a municipality in Metro Vancouver. It lies directly east of the City of Surrey, adjacent to Cloverdale, and surrounded on the north, east and south by Township of Langley.-History:...
amalgamated with Valley First Credit Union based in Penticton. Previously, Delta Credit Union and First Heritage Savings merged on Jan. 1, 2001 to form Envision Financial.
First West has 37 branches and 29 insurance offices located throughout the Lower Mainland
Lower Mainland
The Lower Mainland is a name commonly applied to the region surrounding and including Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2007, 2,524,113 people live in the region; sixteen of the province's thirty most populous municipalities are located there.While the term Lower Mainland has been...
, Fraser Valley
Fraser Valley
The Fraser Valley is the section of the Fraser River basin in southwestern British Columbia downstream of the Fraser Canyon. The term is sometimes used to refer to the Fraser Canyon and stretches upstream from there, but in general British Columbian usage of the term refers to the stretch of the...
, Kitimat, Thompson-Okanagan and Similkameen
Similkameen Country
The Similkameen Country, also referred to as the Similkameen Valley or Similkameen District, but generally referred to simply as The Similkameen or more archaically, Similkameen, is a region roughly coinciding with the basin of the river of the same name in the Southern Interior of British Columbia...
regions. Envision and Valley First operate as divisions of First West, retaining their pre-merger brands. Envision’s president is Bev Brown, while Paulette Rennie is president of the Valley First division.
First West’s subsidiary businesses include First West Capital, Envision Investment Services Ltd., Envision Insurance Services Ltd., CU Dealerlink Ltd., Envision Leasing Ltd., Valley First Insurance Services Ltd. and Valley First Financial Services Ltd.
Other notable achievements
The founding credit unions that merged to form First West have both been recognized in previous years for significant achievements or contributions to their communities. Valley First is recognized for a longstanding tradition of supporting charities, organizations, and events, including, among others, Feed the Valley. For the past eight years, the Globe and Mail’s Report on BusinessReport on Business
Report on Business, commonly referred to as simply ROB, is the financial section of The Globe and Mail, a large Toronto-based Canadian newspaper. It is the most lengthy completion of economic news in Canada, and is considered an integral part of the newspaper...
Magazine has named Envision Financial one of the “50 Best Employers in Canada.” Envision is also designated as a Caring Company by Imagine Canada.