LANGLEY, B.C., Jan. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First West Credit Union announced today that its members voted in favour of a special resolution to change the cooperative financial institution's legal name to Tru Cooperative Credit Union while provincially regulated and Tru Cooperative Bank upon continuance as a federal credit union. The special resolution received approval from 87% of the members holding Class A Membership Equity Shares who voted, exceeding the requirement to receive approval from two thirds of the voting members with Class A Membership Equity Shares.
“This vote is a powerful reflection of who we are and who our members want us to become,” says First West CEO Launi Skinner. “Our cooperative purpose remains unchanged: to create a future where everyone can flourish. What evolves is the clarity of how we can show up in the Canadian financial services space. Once we are federally regulated, the Tru Cooperative Bank name strengthens our ability to be recognized, trusted and understood across Canada, while staying firmly rooted in member ownership, community investment and local decision-making.”
First West's Board Chair, Shawn Neumann, is equally optimistic about the change.
“Canada benefits when people have real choice in financial services–a choice that's values-driven, community rooted and built for the future. We are grateful to our members for their confidence and participation. Today's result is an important step in our evolution and our ambition to be a clear, compelling challenger: modern in how we serve, strong in how we operate and cooperative in why we exist. We are excited for what comes next.”
The vote provided member approval to change First West's legal name and with this approval First West will proceed to work with the applicable regulatory authorities to obtain the remaining approvals required to implement the change.
The cooperative's local brand names–Envision Financial, Island Savings, Valley First and Enderby & District Financial–are not changing.
About First West Credit Union
First West Credit Union brings together the best of both worlds, combining the scale, stability and solutions of a leading Canadian financial institution with the care and community leadership of a local cooperative. Powered by the leadership of Launi Skinner, First West is Canada's premier multi-brand credit union, serving 283,000 members through four admired community brands: Envision Financial, Valley First, Island Savings, and Enderby & District Financial. With approximately $20 billion in total assets and assets under administration, First West makes it easy for its members to get impactful, practical advice and personalized service that's truly in their best interests, through 45 branches across B.C., a Member Advice Centre and leading digital tools.
Since 2010, First West has given back more than $41 million to its communities, while cultivating a culture with its 1,250 team members that is recognized nationally with Canada's Most Admired Cultures Award, BC's Top Employers Award, 5-Star Psychological Safety Award, and the Canadian Workplace Wellbeing Award. Learn more at firstwestcu.ca and see how we're redefining banking to create a future where everyone can flourish.
Josh Juhlke First West Credit Unionmediarelations@firstwestcu.ca