Awards 2009

Date: December 2009
Award: 2009 Socially Responsible Investment Fund Award
Who: Inhance Monthly Income Fund
From: Canadian Investment Awards
For: Inhance Monthly Income Fund won the 2009 Socially Responsible Investment Fund Award from the Canadian Investment Awards, Canada’s premier financial services award program. The awards recognize leading investment products and firms that demonstrate a long-term commitment to excellence within the Canadian financial services industry.

Date: November 2009
Award: Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada: Trailblazers and Trendsetters
Who: Catherine Boivie
From: Women’s Executive Network
For: Catherine was named in the Trailblazers and Trendsetters category, which recognizes women who are either the first in their fields or have made a major impact on them, and who have made a great contribution to Canadian society.

Date: November 2009
Award: 2009 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100
Who: Tamara Vrooman and Catherine Boivie
From: Women’s Executive Network
For: Tamara Vrooman, CEO, was named in the Corporate Executives category, which recognizes women who have contributed to the management, strategic direction and financial performance of their organizations, demonstrated leadership and vision throughout their careers, and demonstrated commitment to their community. Catherine Boivie, CEO, Inventure and SVP, Information Technology, was named in the Trailblazers and Trendsetters category, which recognizes women who are either the first in their fields or have made a major impact on them, and who have made a great contribution to Canadian society.

Date: November 2009
Award: Vancouver Power 50 2009
Who: Tamara Vrooman
From: Vancouver Magazine
For: One of only seven women included in 2009, Tamara joins a select list of Vancouverites who influence and shape our city. Tamara is credited with streamlining Vancity’s business strategy while maintaining a strong commitment to working in our communities. She is also recognized for being a vital part of the city’s green action plan, and for contributing to strategies to end homelessness, in her capacity as a board member of StreetoHome Foundation

Date: 2009 October
Award: 2009 Diversity Leadership Index
Who: Vancity
From: Corporate Knights
For:Vancity ranked number one for leadership diversity by Corporate Knights magazine for a third year in a row. The magazine's annual index of leadership diversity looks at the percentage of an organization's board and top three executives that are female and visible minorities. Vancity topped the list again with an overall score of 69 per cent.

Date: 2009 October
Award: BC’s Top 55 Employers - 2010
Who: Vancity
From: MediaCorp
For:Vancity received recognition as a top British Columbian employer that leads their industries in offering exceptional places to work.

Date: 2009 October
Award: CARE Awards Residential Development of the Year and Best Condominium
Who: Dockside Green
From: Construction Achievements and Renovations of Excellence (CARE) – CHBA- Victoria
For: Dockside Green received two honours at the 2009 Construction Achievements and Renovations of Excellence (CARE) awards for exemplifying superior craftsmanship and leadership in environmental sustainability including:

• Project of the Year – Development: Balance by Dockside Green
• Best Condominium/ Mixed- Use Development: Balance by Dockside Green

Date: 2009 September
Award: Best of Vancouver 2009
Who: Vancity
From: The Georgia Straight
For: Vancity received two wins in the Georgia Straight’s annual Best of Vancouver awards, and was recognized as the:

• Best place to get a mortgage
• Best place to buy RRSPs

Date: 2009 July
Award: Climate Positive Development
Who: Dockside Green
From: Clinton Climate Initiative
For: Dockside Green has been selected as one of two Canadian developments, and one of 16 communities around the world that the Clinton Climate Initiative has named as founding “Climate Positive Developments”.

Date: 2009 June
Award: Third place honours as Top Financial Co-operative
Who: Vancity
From: Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Top 1000 List
For: Vancity ranks third among 15 in the category of Top Financial Co-operatives in the 2009 edition of the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Top 1000 ranking of Canadian public companies. Vancity placed after the Desjardins Group and the Co-operators Group moving up one spot from a fourth place ranking last year.

Date: 2009 June
Award: 2009 Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada (4th spot)
Who: Vancity
From: Corporate Knights
For: Vancity is ranked among number four on the 2009 Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada list, the definitive annual list of Canada's top corporate citizens. Vancity’s top five finish is an impressive jump from 19th spot in 2008. The results are based on a number of indicators including pension fund quality, diversity, pollution, CEO-pay fairness, and tax dollar generation, as well as sector specific indicators such as renewable energy investments (for financial companies).

Date: 2009 June
Award: Environment and Business Achievement Award
Who: Vancity
From: Surrey Board of Trade
For: Vancity is the winner of the Surrey Board of Trade’s Environment and Business Achievement Award. Winning in the Large Business Category, Vancity is recognized for demonstrating exceptional dedication to environmental leadership and issues.

Date: 2009 June
Award: The Top 100 Private Companies in BC
Who: Vancity
From: Business in Vancouver
For: Vancity is #34 on BIV's list of the top 100 private companies in BC. Vancity is recognized for distributing almost $15.3 million or 30% of its profits to its members and the community; becoming carbon-neutral in April 2008; and recording a 43% year-over-year boost to the bottom line thanks to strong deposit growth.

Date: 2009 June
Award: Canada’s 27th largest financial institution and second largest credit union
Who: Vancity
From: The Financial Post
For: Vancity is ranked as Canada’s 27th largest financial institution and second largest credit union on the Financial Post’s Top 500 Financial Institutions listings for 2008. The rankings are based on revenue.

Date: 2009 May
Award: National Credit Union Award for Community Economic Development
Who: Vancity
From: Credit Union Central of Canada
For: Vancity is the winner of the National Credit Union Award for Community Economic Development. The award recognizes Vancity’s microfinance program, which has helped many of our own members and provided micro-loans to people in more than a dozen other countries.

Date: 2009 April
Award: Best Financial Institution
Who: Vancity
From: Vancouver Courier newspaper
For: Vancity has been named "Best Financial Institution" by the readers of the Vancouver Courier in their annual Stars of Vancouver Readers’ Choice Awards.

Date: 2009 April
Award: Top Ten Green Projects for 2009
Who: Dockside Green Residential Phase I
From: American Institute of Architects and its Committee on the Environment (COTE)
For: The American Institute of Architects and its Committee on the Environment has selected Dockside Green Residential Phase I as one of the top ten green projects for 2009. The ten winning projects showcase excellence in sustainable design principles and reduced energy consumption.

Date: 2009 April
Award: 2009 Canada's Greenest Employers
Who: Vancity
From: Canada's Top 100 Employers
For: For the second year in a row, Vancity has been chosen as one of Canada's Greenest Employers (formerly called "Canada's Most Earth-Friendly Employers"). We are one of thirty Canadian employers recognized for our exceptional earth-friendly initiatives and for making environmental values part of our organizational culture. A summary of the reasons explaining why Vancity was selected as one of Canada's Greenest Employers can be found at Canada's Top 100 Employers.

Date: 2009 April
Award: 10 Most Innovative Companies in British Columbia – third place
Who: Vancity
From: BC Business Magazine
For: Vancity placed third on BC Business’ first annual ranking of the 10 most innovative companies in the province.

Date: 2009 March
Award: Best Financial Institution and Best Community-Minded Business
Who: Vancity
From: Burnaby Now newspaper
For: Vancity's eight Burnaby branches were recognized as the "Best Financial Institution" and "Best Community-Minded Business" by the readers of the Burnaby Now in the 12th annual Readers' Choice supplement.

Date: 2009 March
Award: Fourth best online banking services in Canada
Who: Vancity
From: Analysis firm Surviscor
For: Vancity nabbed the fourth spot in the inaugural ranking of online banking services by the analysis firm Surviscor.

Date: 2009 March
Award: Influential Women in Business
Who: Tamara Vrooman
From: Business in Vancouver
For: Vancity CEO Tamara Vrooman was an honouree at Business in Vancouver’s 10th annual Influential Women in Business Awards. The award recognizes women in business in British Columbia and honourees are chosen based on their outstanding achievements in business, contribution to their industry, and influence in the local business community.

Date: 2009 February
Award: Distinguished Alumni Award
Who: Tamara Vrooman
From: University of Victoria
For: Vancity CEO Tamara Vrooman was presented with the University of Victoria's Distinguished Alumni Award.

Date: 2009 February
Award: Canada's Best Diversity Employers
Who: Vancity
From: Canada’s Top 100 Employers
For: For the second year, the Vancity Group was recognized as one of the nation’s leaders in workplace diversity and inclusiveness among several employee groups: women, visible minorities, people with disabilities, Aboriginal Canadians, and gay and lesbian employees.

Date: 2009 February
Award: Georgie Award for the Residential Development of the Year
Who: Dockside Green
From: Canadian Home Builders’ Association of BC (CHBA BC)
For: Dockside Green was honoured with a Georgie for the Residential Development of the Year. The award is the industry's highest recognition of the best overall residential project in BC - of the thousands of residential projects built in 2008, the CHBA-BC selected Dockside Green above all others for its combination of design, innovation, quality and sustainability.