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COVID-19 Updates

CHANGES TO BRANCH HOURS AND CLOSURES

April 3, 2020 – We are continuing to implement health and safety actions that follow the recommendations of the public health agencies and have taken additional measures to take care of our employees and members’ health and well-being.

BRANCH CLOSURES

NEW DENVER: EFFECTIVE TUESDAY APRIL 14, New Denver Branch will be TEMPORARILY closed and will serve as a satellite location for our expanded Member Service Centre.

FRUITVALE, RADIUM will remain closed and are additional locations for our Member Service Centre.

Closing these branches allows us to increase the number of represtatives to answer phones and assist members.

ATM Services in these and all our branches remain available.

CHANGES TO HOURS OF OPERATION

EFFECTIVE APRIL 14, 2020
10:00 am to 11:00 am SENIORS ONLY BANKING
11:00 am to 1:00 pm  

EASTER LONG WEEKEND HOURS
To provide our employees with the much deserved time to rest and spend time with their families, we will be closed on Friday April 10 to Monday April 13, reopening on Tuesday April 14.

While we do remain open, we are asking your help to keep our communities safe. Most of your financial needs can be met in the comfort of your home with our many 24/7 self-serve options. We urge all members to be safe and limit their branch visits to business that cannot be conducted any other way.

If you need assistance with any of our self-serve options, please call our Member Service Centre at 1.800.665.5728.


CREDIT UNIONS DETERMINED TO BE AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE

April 1, 2020 - Last week, credit unions were declared an essential service under non-health essential service providers. These are the services British Columbians rely on in their daily lives. Kootenay Savings remains committed to providing access in the best and safest way possible through a combination of assisted and self-assisted channels.

We are continuing to implement precautionary health and safety actions that follow the recommendations of the public health agencies and have implemented additional measures to take care of our employees and members’ health and wellbeing.

  • Temporarily closed select locations to allow us to assist members by phone
  • Moved all in branch appointments to phone appointments, unless an emergent need arises
  • Ensured only one public entrance is open – wheelchair accessible
  • Have a staff representative screen members at the door to educate on social distancing, monitor and control the number of members in a branch, and educate members on digital and phone banking options
  • Segregated work groups to ensure everyone is following social distancing
  • Many of our staff have been set up to work from home
  • Developed over the phone processes to address more complex banking needs that are secure and follow regulatory requirements   
  • Installing Plexiglas partitions to minimize potential exposure of the virus to front line staff
We urge members to do as much banking as possible through online, mobile and phone banking, our ATMS or by calling our Member Service Centre. If you have not tried these banking options, please call 1.800.665.5728 and we can help get you started.

Our Member Service Centre and in-branch advisors are currently experiencing a high volume of requests. You may experience longer than normal wait times. We appreciate your patience, as we adapt to best help serve our members, our employees and our communities.

Please continue to check here often for the latest updates and information.


Banking Options

Rest assured, you can connect with us in many convenient ways

Virtually, most of your banking needs can be done from the comfort of your home through online, mobile or phone. 

We urge you to take advantage of these banking options and ask that you only go to branch if necessary.

If you haven’t used these options, we can help get you started.

Do you receive your Old Age Security and/or Canada Pension Plan by cheque? Click here to enroll in Direct Deposit.

With these services, you can monitor and manage your accounts, transfer funds, pay bills, and deposit cheques to name a few.  We can also conduct appointments by phone and documents can be signed electronically.

For our Wealth Management clients and Small Business owners, we have support in place too. To reach a representative, simply call 1.800.665.5728 and press 5.

 

Closures & Modified Hours

To keep our members and employees safe, we are reducing our branch hours of operation as follows:

  • Effective April 14 - 10:00 - 11:00 am SENIORS ONLY.  11:00 - 1:00 pm REGULAR BANKING.
  • March 23 - Branches will be open from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm until further notice with the exception of Fruitvale and Radium branches.
  • March 26 - Fruitvale Branch temporarily closed and will serve as a satellite location for our expanded Member Service Centre.
  • March 30 - Radium Branch temporarily closed and will serve as an additional satellite location for our expanded Member Service Centre.
  • March 30 - Moved all in-branch appointments to phone appointment only, unless emergency.

We have made this decision so that we can continue to provide services to our members while also following the social distancing recommendations of the provincial health agencies.

Financial Relief

While it won’t be business as usual, you will be able to count on us. COVID-19 has affected all of us in various ways. If you are facing financial challenges, we are here for you. 

We're dedicated to working with our members to provide flexible solutions through hardships caused by these circumstances including:

  •  Payment suspensions and alterations up to 6 months
  • “Quick Loans” – Personal loans up to $10,000 with deferred payments up to 6 months
  • “Quick LOCs” – Business Lines of Credit up to $25,000 with interest only payments

Please call 1.800.665.5728 for assistance.  Business members can select option 5, and follow the prompts to talk to a commercial lender.  All other members please select option 4 to speak to a Kootenay Savings representative.

Our goal is to provide some peace of mind knowing you can continue to support yourself and your families through these difficult times.

April 1 2020 - Government of Canada Business Relief Program

The Government of Canada announced a new relief program to support businesses impacted by COVID-19.

Briefly, solutions include:
  • The Canada Emergency Business Account
  • The Business Development Bankd of Canada (BDC) Co-Lending Facility
  • The Export Development Bank of Canada Business Credit Availability Program
At this time, we are awaiting more details around the criteria and eligibility requirements, however we do know:
  • Members registered as businesses as of March 1, 2020 may be eligible to enroll for these solutions
  • The Canada Emergency Business Account will provide a $40,000 loan to eligible members

Read the Government of Canada’s Press Release here.

Self-employed or contract workers, please refer to Canada’s Emergency Response Benefit.

Please check back as we’ll have more information as it becomes available.

CEO Message

March 21, 2020 - A Message from Brent Tremblay, President and CEO

As I’m sure you have all seen in the media, things are evolving very quickly around us and changes are occurring daily. I know for myself, I have never seen anything quite like this before and I understand how unsettling it can be for you and your family. We know you are concerned and I want to provide you with an update on what we are doing at Kootenay Savings.

First, let me reassure you, there is no greater priority than the safety and well-being of our members, employees and communities.

Our steps to serve you safely and responsibly.

We are monitoring the evolving developments surrounding the Coronavirus (COVID-19).  In our branches and offices, we’ve implemented precautionary health and safety actions that follow the recommendations of the public health agencies. We are paying close attention and have a team in place ready to respond to changes as they occur.  

If you’d like to find out more about the precautions we’re taking, please Click here.

Reduced Branch Hours.

Out of an abundance of caution, and to keep our members and employees safe, we have decided to limit branch hours. As of Monday March 23, we will be open from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm until further notice.

We have made this decision so that we can continue to provide services to our members while also following the social distancing recommendations of the provincial health agencies.  

Rest assured, you can connect with us in many convenient ways.

Virtually, most of your banking needs can be done from the comfort of your home through online, mobile or phone.  We urge you to take advantage of these banking options and ask that you only go to a branch if necessary. If you haven’t used these options, we can help get you started.

With these services, you can monitor and manage your accounts, transfer funds, pay bills, and deposit cheques to name a few.  We can also conduct appointments by phone and documents can be signed electronically.

For our Wealth Management clients and Small Business owners, we have support in place too.  To reach a representative, simply call 1.800.665.5728 and press 5.

Member Financial Relief.

While it won’t be business as usual, you will be able to count on us. COVID-19 has affected many of us in various ways. If you are facing financial challenges, we’re here for you. Our goal is to provide some peace of mind knowing you can continue to support yourself and your families through these difficult times. Our team is dedicated to working with you to provide flexible solutions through hardships caused by these unusual circumstances. Click here to find out more.

If you would like to speak to one of our representatives about financial relief, please call 1.800.665.5728 for assistance.

Sincere thanks.

As a member-owned credit union, local decision-making and thriving communities are the cornerstone of who we are.  These are different times and I realize your banking experience with us will be different too. We ask for your patience and understanding as we continue to make changes to provide you with the best possible service during this evolving situation.

Finally, on behalf of the entire Kootenay Savings family, I want to thank you for your continued trust and loyalty.

Please continue to check our website and social media pages often for the latest updates and information.

We’re in this together and we’ll get through it together.  Please take good care.

Brent Tremblay
President and CEO

FAQs

We're here to help during this difficult time.  Here are answers to some questions you may have.

March 26, Frequently Asked Questions


Precautionary Steps

We're following the directions of the provincial and federal health authorities and have implemented precautionary health and safety actions to reduce the spread of the virus.

  • Urging members to use our other banking options – online, mobile, phone, ATMs and Member Service Contact Centre and only come to the branch if absolutely necessary.
  • Keeping our employees informed and up-to-date on hygiene practices as recommended by these authorities.
  • Requiring our employees to stay home if they are sick or have symptoms.
  • Requiring all employees who have travelled outside of Canada to self-quarantine for a period of 14 days.
  • Practicing social distancing by maintaining a distance of 2 metres away from others
  • Increased the intensity of cleaning across our branches and ATMs including high-touch surfaces such as door handles, countertops, and key pads.  
  • Increased our supplies of hand sanitizer pumps and wipes in our branches and offices.

Useful resources:
Stay informed about the facts by visiting these qualified authorities:

World Health Organization (WHO)
Public Health Agency of Canada
Government Travel Advice and Advisories
Interior Health Authority