East Kootenay Community Credit Union (EKC) is built on the knowledge of members helping members and understanding our communities. We recognize personalized advice and service will help our members take care of their money and meet all their banking need. The same benefits of local banking at EKC applies when you’re shopping too.

Shop local, is now more important than ever.

Local businesses and credit unions, like EKC, can make decisions quickly and be more relevant to our communities. EKC was able to install protective shields for the front-line staff by our local cabinet maker, floor stickers from our local sticker shop and provide hand sanitizer from our local distillery within the first week of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Local business needs your support now, more than ever. Contact your favourite retailers and find out how they are doing business. We may not have the convenience of browsing through the aisles but they are still happy to assist us, Just not in the usual way. From doing your banking from home, curbside pickup for your dog food and delivery from your favourite restaurant, businesses have adapted and so should we.

You may find your neighbour is now delivering your order, the owner is offering a private showing of their furniture and your local retailer can get your order faster than Amazon.

Research BC Buy Local shows that B.C. local businesses create more than double the economic impact of their chain competitors. For every $100 spent with a B.C. local business, $63 is re-circulated back into our B.C. economy (vs $14 for multinational corporations).

• Local retailers re-circulate 63%;

• Local restaurants re-circulate 68%;

• Local suppliers (e.g. office supplies) re-circulate 33%.

In addition to EKC, shopkeepers and restaurant owners, tax goes to government that supports schools, firefighters, and other services in the area. Ordering take out dinner can be the reason our town has enough money to fix the potholes! Please order dessert too!

Shopping locally gives back to all of us by:

• bringing growth and innovation to our community;
• donations back to your children’s sports teams;
• sponsorship of events;
• expertise and energy into our communities by planning events and helping with local initiatives;
• creating jobs;
• training ground for youth to explore career options;
• attracting and creating talent for new products or new solutions for existing ideas; and
• supporting big businesses for the completion of various business functions through outsourcing.

The environmental footprint is smaller when we shop locally. It’s difficult to avoid foreign manufacturing, but many local businesses have locally made goods for sale, which eliminates at least one flight your product might take, saving on fuel and greenhouse gases. Even if the product you’re buying was manufactured overseas, buying it locally can shave a flight or two off the product’s carbon footprint.

Shopping locally is the best way to find unique items and support the growth of our local culture. The children’s book written by a local writer and with pictures from local artists may inspire the next generation to shop local and live local.

East Kootenay Community Credit Union is a proud cooperative built by the people of the East Kootenay. We have supported many small businesses in starting up in our communities and through good times and now, challenging times. Like a parent, we are invested in the growth and success of our business members and of course, want to see them come through this difficult time. With your support now and when we return to “the new normal,” these small businesses will continue to thrive and remain the backbone of our communities.

EKC encourages everyone to learn more about doing their banking and shopping locally.

East Kootenay Community Credit Union

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