East Kootenay Community Credit Union is finally coming to Sparwood

by Keith Powell — January 24, 2011

Image of Sparwoods to be East Kootenay Credit Union

$27,500 in community donations were approved to help fund local projects in 2011 and 2012.

Jody E. Burk, Chief Executive Officer of East Kootenay Community Credit Union (EKC) has announced today that EKC will open a branch in Sparwood during the fall of 2011.

Construction of the EKC branch is slated to begin soon at its future location on Aspen Drive, and the grand opening celebrations have begun already. Most recently, the Board of Directors at EKC approved an allocation of $27,500 for community projects in Sparwood over the course of 2011 and 2012.

“For over six decades, EKC has built a reputation for being locally-minded and very supportive of the communities we serve,” said Burk. “Moving forward, we’re all very excited about the positive contributions we can make to the residents and businesses here in Sparwood, from the services we offer to the way we treat our neighbours.”

With a large base of EKC members in Sparwood already, residents will no longer have to travel to Fernie or Elkford for EKC’s services. Instead Sparwood will have access to EKC’s full range of financial services in their own community—including personal and commercial savings and lending, financial planning and property insurance.

“By having a branch in all three Elk Valley communities, we will continue to provide local solutions for local needs, while strengthening our commitment to grow the economy and celebrate the unique lifestyle here in the East Kootenay,” Burk said. “In this same spirit, we look forward to giving the residents of Sparwood a financial institution they can really come home to—a place that understands them better.”

About East Kootenay Community Credit Union (EKC)

Founded in 1950, EKC has branches in Cranbrook, Fernie, Elkford and Sparwood as of 2011. Opening its first location in Cranbrook, EKC has quickly grown into one of the largest credit unions in the area with over $200 million in assets. As a full-service credit union, its deposits are 100 per cent insured, and its decisions are still made at home by a locally elected board of directors.