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 Community
Events Calendar
Check
out what's happening at our branches and within our region by visiting
our events calendar. Events are listed by month and you can view
events throughout the coming months as well. Add your community
event by sending us an
email with all of the details. If it's applicable, we'll do
our best to see it gets listed along with all of the other area
events that are on the site.
Community
Investments
Niagara
Credit Union believes strongly in investing in our community. We
support many organizations, groups and specific causes throughout
the year.
• Congratulations to the 2001
Niagara Credit Union Community Leadership Award Recipients.
Community
Links
Niagara
Credit Union invites you to "Add a Link" to community
groups or charitable organizations.
 We
believe in helping out our community wherever we can. If you support
or are involved with either a community group or a charitable organization
that benefits the residents of Niagara, we invite you to "Add
a Link" for Free, here on our website. Members and
people who visit our website will have direct access to the posted
link. That means greater exposure for these community organizations
to others within the Niagara Region and around the world.
Just email us
with some details about your group or organization and include the
link to your site. After we approve it**, we'll post your link on
our Community Page.
What if we don't have a Website??
That's no problem....We'll host an information page for Free
on our website!. Just email
us
with the information about the group or organization. After we approve
it, we'll get in contact with you (or the key contact of the organization)
and create a webpage that is hosted on our website*. Then we'll
add a link to that page on our Community Page. This is a
FREE community service that Niagara Credit Union is proud
to support.
* - Consisting
of a single webpage. Email
us for the details of what can be included on the webpage.
** - Please read
the agreement prior to contacting us.
(click
on Organization name to visit website ... if available)
Charitable Organizations
| Teddy
Bear Tymes |
| Local
Registered Charitable Club that provides Teddy Bears to be
placed in Ambulances, Local Police Cars, Hospitals, and Senior's
Homes for traumatized individuals. |
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Community Groups/Organizations
| Niagara
Community Foundation |
| The
Niagara Community Foundation will serve the people of Niagara
by building permanently endowed charitable funds for the changing
needs and opportunities of the community. The Foundation will
make grants that contribute to the health and vitality of
the Niagara Region. Donations can be made at any Niagara Credit
Union branch. For more information please contact the Niagara
Community Foundation at (905) 684-8688. |
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| Family
& Children's Services (FACS) |
| Family
and Children's Services Niagara is your local children's aid
society- providing child protection, foster care, adoption,
family counselling and many other services that support the
children, youth and families of our community. Please call
us if you have a concern about about the safety and well being
of a child, would like to learn more about our community programs
such as our family counselling centre, nursery schools, family
resource centres or toy lending services or if you are interested
in becoming a foster parent, volunteer or a donor. You could
make the difference in the life of a child. (905)937-7731
or 1-888-937-7731 ext 3304. |
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| Wellspring
Niagara |
| Wellspring
Niagara is a non-profit cancer support centre with one-to-one
peer support, support programs and services for people and
their families living with cancer. It also offers programs
for anger or stress management and other outlets for pain,
such as art therapy. For more information please call (905)
934-7952 or visit..
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| Children's
Discovery Centre of Niagara |
| This
exciting new innovative project will provide many benefits
for the entire Niagara peninsula. Through educational tours,
workshops, partnerships and community and tourist access,
the Discovery Centre will play a vital role throughout our
region. The Centre will create a unique, interactive and educational
experience for children. Programs and exhibits will offer
a dynamic learning environment, examining many aspects of
the world around us. For more information please call (905)
934-8338. .
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| Alzheimer
Society of Niagara Region |
| Dedicated
to ensure quality services for individuals with Alzheimer
Disease and related dementias. Support and advocate for individuals,
families, caregivers and community through counseling, education,
and the promotion of research to compassionately respond to
the very special needs of those experiencing dementia.
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| St.
Giles Presbyterian Church |
| Located
at 205 Linwell Rd., St. Catharines, Ontario, offers a variety
of programs for all age groups and has a busy congregational
schedule. |
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| Bethesda |
| Bethesda
is a non - profit, charitable organization that provides services
and accommodation for adults with developmental disabilities
in the Niagara Region. |
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Niagara Credit Union is committed to serving our
membership and the communities in which they reside. We play an
active role both on the corporate and branch level by getting involved
in community programs and donating to or sponsoring worthy projects,
programs, or community causes and events.
About
NCU / History
As Niagara enters into the next century,
it has 15 branches and membership of more than 80,000. Three drive-thru
ABM locations and two offsite ABM kiosks. Three in-branch Commercial
lending locations. MemberCARE mutual fund and financial counselling
locations. A new Y2K compliant state of the art banking system and
over $1 billion in assets.
In 1937, Virgil-area fruit farmers
formed the Niagara Township Fruit Cooperative Limited for the purpose
of providing a central organization for buying their farm requirements
and selling their produce. As this Co-op expanded and flourished,
it became apparent that banking services were needed, including
the granting of credit for farm expansion and development. Virgil
had no banks and the nearest ones were in Niagara-on-the-Lake and
St. Davids.
These financial institutions had a
reputation for being ultra-conservative in their attitude toward
farmers in need of financial help. A little farther away, in St.
Catharines, the banks did provide some credit for the well established
and successful farmers, but these banks too were reluctant to grant
loans to the newcomers who had very little in the way of tangible
assets, even though they had honesty, integrity, and excellent farming
skills.
Around 1944, requests were made to
have a branch bank opened in Virgil, but these requests gained no
favorable reaction. An employee of the Co-op, Mr. A. P. Regier,
who had some experience with credit unions, suggested that the Co-op
members band together and organize their own "people's bank". A
number of study meetings were held and the group applied to the
Provincial Government for a credit union charter, which was granted
in December, 1944. All charter applicants were directly connected
with agriculture in Niagara Township. The credit union was called
Niagara Township Credit Union.
The newly formed credit union began
operations in January 1945, in space provided by the Co-op, and
with the voluntary help of Mr. Regier. The credit union was started
with assets of $24. At the end of its first year of operation, membership
was 63 and assets were $2,421.
The underlying principles of the credit
union were to provide its members with a place to save along with
providing low-cost loans. These loans were generally small and short
term. By the early 1950's, the Co-op had opened stations in Beamsville
and St. Catharines; therefore many more Co-op members became eligible
to join the credit union. Virgil, too, was growing as a result of
the post-war boom. These factors combined to convince the credit
union's Board of Directors to engage a full-time office.
Mr. Regier was hired as the first
full-time Treasurer-Manager. The credit union also introduced secondary
chequing services to its members in August 1952, through the Dominion
Bank. By doing so, Niagara Township Credit Union was the first credit
union to introduce chequing services to its members.
In 1955 a new bond of association
was formed and membership became open to a larger geographical area.
Regular meetings were held and an eligible person could only become
a member if they attended a stipulated number of these meetings
and were nominated for membership by two active members of the credit
union. In 1955 the credit union leased its first office and offered
its members 48 hours of service each week.
The second branch office was opened
in St. Catharines. With this branch location, more and more citizens
of St. Catharines joined the credit union resulting in a significant
growth in membership and assets. The Virgil branch moved into its
own building in January 1960. In 1966 the Vineland branch was opened.
Continued expansion and growth of the credit union necessitated
a major expansion of the office building in Virgil. It was also
in 1970 that the credit union applied for and was granted permission
to change its name to Niagara Credit Union.
In 1972 the Provincial Government
changed the credit unions' bond of association and membership became
available to anyone living in, or working in, the City of St. Catharines,
the Regional Town of Lincoln, and the Regional Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
In 1975 the credit union opened its fourth branch at Lake Street
in St. Catharines. Earlier in this same year the board of directors
voted to discontinue the sponsorship requirement for membership
and in 1977 the credit union's fifth branch was opened at Pendale
Plaza.
In 1980, the credit unions bond of
association was again changed. This change covers the Regional Municipality
of Niagara. In 1981, further expansion of branch office locations
resulted from the amalgamations with other area credit unions with
offices opening in Port Colborne, Stevensville, Welland, Fonthill,
and Wainfleet. In 1984 Niagara introduced Automated Banking to its
members. By 1985, Niagara Credit Union had a total of 11 branches
serving the region with another branch having been opened in Niagara
Falls. By 1988, the Ridley Square and Grimsby branches had been
added and the membership totaled over 62,000 with assets of $454
million. Extended hours were also added to the branches in an effort
to better accommodate the membership. 1990 saw the addition of a
drive-thru ABM location at the Ridley Plaza branch and construction
on a new Corporate Office building was begun and completed in 1991.
Construction on a Beamsville branch is also completed this year.
By 1992 Telephone Banking has been introduced and the asset base
was $627 million. The Grimsby branch is relocated. 1994 was a banner
year in that it marked the 50th anniversary of Niagara Credit Union.
By this time there were 14 branches with assets of $650 million.
This brings us to the present. With
it's strong leadership, professional staff and excellent services,
Niagara Credit Union is ready for 2000 and beyond.
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Start
Young
Learn
to save and get the use of services such as chequing and
ABM Cards with a Youth Account.
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Your
Family
Niagara
Credit Union grows lives. Balanced, comfortable, secure
lives with a holistic approach to financial management.
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New
Car Loan
A new
car loan from Niagara Credit Union can put you in the
drivers seat.
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Need
some Financial Advice
Make
an appointment at one of our branches
to talk to one of our
Financial Advisors
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