We recognize that our long-term social and economic well being depends on the well being of life-supporting ecosystems. That’s why we take steps to minimize our own ecological footprint and to support others who are working to find positive solutions to environmental concerns.

We consider the potential impact on the environment when making business decisions such as how we build or renovate branches, what kind of paper we use, or who we purchase services from.

Here are some examples. When we built our Ft. Richmond Branch we wanted to leave a small footprint on the land but make a big statement about why building green is both possible and a smart investment.

We worked with the Manitoba Chapter of the Canadian Green Building Council and the WinnipegREALTORS® to produce the Your Greener Home resources which can help you build, buy or renovate a greener home.

When we print marketing materials, we use vegetable-based inks on 100% post-consumer, chlorine free recycled paper manufactured with Green-e renewable energy.

We replaced paper pay statements with electronic pay statements for all our employees. That means we’ll save printing 10,400 statements per year! We've also made it possible for our members to discontinue paper statements. And by participating in the Winnipeg Transit Eco-Pass program and subsidizing the cost of monthly bus passes, we’re encouraging more of our employees to leave their cars at home and take the bus.

We included ecological responsibility as one of four guiding principles for our new Sustainable Community Grant program, and welcome the opportunity to support projects and programs that are helping create positive environmental solutions. And we look for ways to use our purchasing power to support environmental enterprises, such as Natural Cycle and Enviro-Safe Cleaning Worker Co-operative, as we conduct our daily business.