Dec 4: Vancity Supports Marine Exosystem Project

Vancouver, December 4, 2000 - The Vancity EnviroFund has awarded a $15,000 grant to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) to support the "Building First Nations Partnerships for Marine Conservation in Indian Arm" project, Vancity Board of Directors Chair Greg McDade announced today.

"Environmental responsibility is an important priority for Vancity," said McDade. "With the Vancity EnviroFund, we actively support local community initiatives which address specific environmental concerns in constructive and creative ways. We're pleased to support CPAWS in its work with local First Nations people to promote marine conservation in Indian Arm."

Through a joint partnership with the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society plans to develop a comprehensive marine ecosystem stewardship strategy for Indian Arm. By integrating the protection of Indian Arm marine ecosystems with existing and future cultural and economic activities, this project will help foster long-term cooperative environmental partnerships and sustainable community development in the region.

The Vancity EnviroFund has awarded a total of $80,000 in grants in 2000 to five local community groups. Other grant recipients this year are:

• Alouette River Management Society Watershed Works Program ($15,000)
• UBC Alma Mater Society Bike Co-op Human Resources Coordinator funding ($17,500)
• Labour Environmental Alliance Society's Cleaners, Toxins and the Ecosystem project ($15,000)
• Recycling Council of British Columbia's Chemical and Hazardous Materials Exchange ($17,500)

The Vancity EnviroFund was established by Vancity Credit Union in 1990, and has awarded more than $720,000 in grants since then. All three of Vancity's VISA cards (the Vancity EnviroFund VISA, the Vancity Travel VISA and the Vancity Gold VISA) support the EnviroFund, with a minimum of five per cent of VISA card profits donated to the fund each year. Vancity VISA card holders vote each year on which environmental issues they would like EnviroFund to support. Vancity is Canada's largest credit union, with $6.4 billion in assets, 263,000 members, and 39 branches throughout Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and Victoria. Vancity owns Citizens Bank of Canada, serving members across the country by telephone, ATM, and the Internet. Both Vancity and Citizens Bank are guided by a commitment to corporate social responsibility, and to improve the quality of life in the communities where we live and work.