Yarrow – Yarrow is the latest victim of the COVID crunch as Envision Financial will close their Yarrow branch. There was a temporary closure in March due to the pandemic. This is now permanent. That is not sitting well with the locals. On social media, there were postings from frustrated customers including:
Sheldon A Klassen I went in to another branch today and talked to the manager about it. Her response was “Garrison Branch is only 8km away. It’s not a big deal”. Gotta love the sensitivity.
Chilliwack City Councilor and FVRD Chair Jason Lum, Yarrow born and bred and raising his family in Yarrow, said he will be sending a letter to the President of Envision, arguing that this is a poor decision.
Many customers prefer the face to face banking and some seniors are not computer savvy for on line banking.
FVN reached out to the corporate office for further comment. They claim they will make a donation to the Yarrow Library as a gesture of good faith:
Envision Financial, a division of First West Credit Union, announced today that its Yarrow branch, which has been temporarily closed since mid-March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will not reopen.
“Our members are increasingly handling their banking online or through our Member Advice Centre, which means their branch visits are more for advice-driven conversations,” says Dave Lanphear, President, Envision Financial. “This behavioural shift has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and, as a result, we are consolidating our branch network, investing in technology and creating new front-line roles to meet the evolving needs of our members and remain a financially strong member-owned co-operative during a time of considerable economic uncertainty.”
Envision Financial has three other nearby locations serving Chilliwack, including its Garrison Village branch at 45595 Market Way, its Sardis branch at 45410 Luckakuck Way, and its Chilliwack City branch at 45840 Cheam Ave. In addition, members of the Yarrow branch will also have access to the Envision Financial Member Advice Centre and digital banking platforms.
“We very much appreciate the flexibility of our Yarrow members over the last six months while the branch has been closed,” says Lanphear. “Envision Financial remains committed to the co-operative principle of returning profits to its communities, supporting members and local organizations in the area.”
Envision Financial also announced a $25,000 donation to the Yarrow Library to support the vital work as a hub within the community. This donation brings its total investment in the Yarrow and Chilliwack communities to $687,674 since 2010.
Several Yarrow branch employees have transitioned to other opportunities within the organization. Envision Financial remains a leading employer in Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley with over 600 employees.
A posting from Envision that was emailed to customers states:
