Ken Pickering has lived in the North End for most of his life. He’s a firm believer in the phrase “There’s no place like home,” and it shows. Almost as soon as he starts talking about the neighbourhood, it’s obvious that he’s proud of it, and very involved in community life.

Pickering helps with the North Point Douglas Seniors’ Coalition, is on the William Whyte Residents’ Association, ran a supper program out of Turtle Island Neighbourhood Centre—and the list continues. Pickering is a familiar face around the Community Financial Services Centre which operates out of rented space at Mount Carmel Clinic. Long before he opened his account with Assiniboine there, he was telling people about ACU, encouraging them to open their own accounts. Then one day the manager of CFSC informed him that she had gotten him the necessary referral from a CFSC community partner, and it was time for him to open his own account. He did, and now is looking forward to ACU’s branch opening in his neighbourhood.

Pickering is dependent on a wheelchair and oxygen, so it can be hard for him to get to a branch. The arrangement that CFSC has with Mount Carmel Clinic has worked well for him. But when he needs to bank on the days ACU isn’t open at CFSC, the closest ACU branch is Garden City on McPhillips, which is some distance from home. The new branch will be much closer. In fact, it’s only one bus from door to door, which is a big improvement from two buses and a number of blocks beyond that. “I’ll definitely be switching to the McGregor Branch,” Pickering says.

Chances are good that he will bring some people with him, too. He’s a proud ACU member, and continues to encourage people to bank here. “Every time I hear someone complain about their bank, or the service they get, I tell them to go to Assiniboine. They’ll get great service there.”