Community-based, member-owned, and democratically governed, Northern Savings is proud to have been part of the credit union system since 1940. Northern Savings offers a full range of personal and commercial banking services as well as insurance, financial advising and investment services through its online channels and its branch locations in Prince Rupert, Masset, the Village of Queen Charlotte, and Terrace. We also own and operate a mortgage centre and an insurance agency in southern B.C. At Northern Savings, we honour the northwest region and our history through our commitment to superior service for members, employees, customers, and the communities we serve.A brief history
Residents of British Columbia’s rugged north coast are no strangers to co-operation. In 1931, a group of Prince Rupert salmon trollers incorporated the Prince Rupert Fishermen’s Co-operative Association. Four years later, fishermen on Graham Island (Haida Gwaii/Queen Charlotte Islands) followed suit, creating the North Island Trollers’ Co-operative Association. As co-op members, the fishermen were able to better meet their needs. In a few years, both co-ops were successful businesses, helping their members weather the Great Depression.
The success of the fisheries co-ops helped encourage the development of other co-operative enterprises, including credit unions. In 1940, north coast residents formed four credit unions: Prince Rupert Fishermen’s Credit Union, New Masset Credit Union, Q.C.I. Central Credit Union and Skidegate Inlet Credit Union, the last three located on Graham Island. After World War II ended, three more credit unions formed in the Prince Rupert area: pulp mill workers formed Celco City Credit Union, war veterans created Royal Canadian Legion Credit Union, and other community members started Kaien Consumers Credit Union. By 1960, these three credit unions had amalgamated continuing as Kaien Consumers CU; eight years later the Masset, QCI Central and Skidegate credit unions joined Kaien Consumers.
Prince Rupert Fishermen’s merged with Kaien Consumers in October 1987, and operated as Kaien Consumers Credit Union until 1995, when the name was changed to Northern Savings Credit Union. Terrace & District Credit Union, which was founded in 1945 and served the Terrace area for more than sixty years, merged with Northern Savings on July 1, 2006.
