Past Kindersley District Credit Union and Synergy Credit Union presidents Ron Howie (left) and Wayne White, along with current Synergy CU president Don Wheler of Lashburn and Shaun Henry, the branch manager in Kindersley, gather for a photo after receiving a gift from the credit union branch during the organization’s 75th anniversary celebration on June 15.
Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion
Synergy Credit Union has celebrated 75 years of history going back to the pre-amalgamation years of credit unions started in Lloydminster and Kindersley.
Ron Lamont (left) and Don McTaggart (right) of Kindersley receive a token of appreciation from Synergy Credit Union branch manager Shaun Henry at the 75th anniversary celebration on June 15 for being the longest current members of the Kindersley branch.
The local Synergy CU branch in Kindersley hosted a 75th anniversary celebration on June 15. The staff served a beef-on-a-bun lunch to people in attendance and a short presentation was made to recognize the credit union’s history, members and presidents.
Shaun Henry, the branch manager in Kindersley, welcomed people to the event and thanked everyone for getting out over their lunch hour. He also thanked the branch’s staff, local board members and advisors, and the organizing committee for the credit union’s 75th anniversary celebration in Kindersley.
He noted that the branch also put on a previous event where a total of 300 children were fed in a span of less than 10 minutes. Henry introduced Mayor Rod Perkins of Kindersley to say a few words to the folks in attendance.
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Perkins said it was his privilege as mayor to represent the town and its council at the celebration. He said he has worn several hats in the community and in all his time dealing with the credit union in Kindersley, he has never left without getting much needed support.
He told a story from when he was president of the Kindersley Chamber of Commerce. He said the chamber wanted to erect a digital reader board and he planned to ask each of Kindersley’s financial institutions for their support.
The mayor said not only did the credit union pledge its support, but the credit union paid the full cost for the reader board. He commended Synergy CU for all it does for the community and he congratulated the institution on 75 years and a “job well done.”
Henry said Synergy CU made a commitment of $100,000 to the Town of Kindersley for the Fat Cat’s Splash Pad in Baker Park, and he presented a cheque to Perkins for the remaining $50,000 outstanding for the project.
Shaun Henry (right), who is the Synergy Credit Union branch manager in Kindersley, presents a cheque for $50,000 to Mayor Rod Perkins for the second half of a $100,000 commitment for the Fat Cat’s Splash Pad in Baker Park.
In 2007, the credit unions in Kindersley and Lloydminster merged to form Synergy CU. Henry provided history to remind people how the Kindersley District Credit Union got to where it is today. Synergy’s history dates back to 1943 when the Lloydminster Credit Union was originally established.
The branch manager said the maximum loan available in 1944 was $500 and loans came with a six per cent interest rate. By the annual general meeting in 1943, the credit union had grown its assets to $11,363. The assets grew to $6.54 million by 1968.
Henry went through the history of amalgamations. The Kindersley District Credit Union was established in 1948 and he said it has taken 75 years of amalgamations and mergers to make up what has become Synergy CU.
He recognized several of the people who have been members the longest in the Kindersley area. Ron Lamont joined in 1953 and Don McTaggart joined in 1954, and both members were on hand for the celebration.
Brothers Peter and Robert Speir of Brock both joined in 1953, and Robert and John Sproule of Coleville both joined in 1964.
The branch manager said the credit union wanted to thank its longest members, but also its presidents. Past presidents Ron Howie and Wayne White were on hand for the celebration, along with current president Don Wheler of Lashburn.
Wheler took over from White as president in 2016 after White had served as the credit union’s only president since the amalgamation back in 2007. Wheler said the staff in Kindersley is wonderful and enthusiastic, and he recognized White for his contributions.
“We were just really proud to have (White) as our spokesperson and our leader,” he said, recognizing that he worked on the amalgamation with his predecessor before White was elected as the inaugural president of Synergy CU.
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