Leadership report.
2025 was one of the strongest years in StellerVista’s history, and a year that showed the deeper value of the work we have been doing since merger. Our financial performance improved significantly, with loan growth of approximately 8.9% and deposit growth of approximately 2.8% reflecting both continued member confidence and the benefits of merger now being realized, our ability to reinvest in members and communities grew, and our confidence in StellerVista’s long-term independent future became stronger. We are also seeing more of the practical benefits of merger being realized – in our results, in our capacity, and in our ability to continue building for the future.
That progress matters because the environment around us remains uncertain. Small financial institutions are facing rising compliance expectations, major technology costs, shifting member expectations, and economic factors that can change quickly. For a local credit union, staying independent means staying ready.
Prepared for Uncertainty
Tariff risk and broader economic uncertainty do not affect a credit union in the same way they affect an exporter or manufacturer, but they do affect the people and businesses we serve. They influence household cash flow, business confidence, borrowing decisions, and the pace of local economic activity. In that kind of environment, our role is to remain calm, well-capitalized, and ready to adapt.
We continue to manage that responsibility through prudent liquidity, strong oversight, disciplined planning, and local decision making. Because our leadership, lending, and service teams live in the communities we serve, we are able to respond quickly when conditions change and help members navigate uncertainty with practical advice and flexible solutions.
The strength of 2025 gave us the ability to do more than stay steady. It allowed us to share success in a meaningful way. This year, more than $1 million was returned directly to members and communities through patronage, dividends, and community investment – an extraordinary result for a credit union of our size and a direct reflection of the positive outcomes now being realized through merger.
Labour Disruption and Moving Forward
Another major part of 2025 was the labour disruption affecting our Castlegar and Slocan Valley branches. We were disappointed to experience a strike, and we do not take lightly the impact that had on employees, members, or our communities. At the same time, we fully respect the collective bargaining process and the importance of arriving at a fair and durable outcome.
The agreement ratified in September provided that outcome. It supports fair and competitive compensation for employees while also protecting the long-term strength of the credit union and our ability to continue serving members well in a financial industry that is changing quickly. That balance matters, and so does our continued ability to adapt responsibly as expectations for service, risk management, compliance, and operational resilience continue to grow. We are grateful to our management team for leading through a difficult period, to our staff for their professionalism, and to our members for their patience and trust throughout the disruption.
Ultimately, 2025 showed what this organization is capable of. Merger is hard. Rebranding is hard. Integration is hard. Labour disruption is hard. Adapting a small independent credit union to modern demands is hard. But the results we are now seeing – stronger performance, deeper reinvestment, and a clearer path forward – are exactly why that work matters.
Subsidiary Lines of Business
In running our business as effectively as possible, we have developed a number of different subsidiary ownerships, all of which are directly tied to—and drive benefit to—our credit union. These include a 25% ownership in Kootenay Insurance Services LTD, a 33% ownership in Kootenay Risk Services (KRS), a 100% ownership of EKC Property Holdings LTD, a 50% ownership of Growth Financial, a 50% ownership of MoneyWorks, and a 100% ownership of 398329 BC Ltd, which operates the Castlegar branch strip mall. Further information and notes on these subsidiaries can be found in our full financial statements, included in this report.
You’re Protected.
At StellerVista Credit Union, we take the safety and security of our members' deposits very seriously. That's why we are proud to be a member of the Credit Union Deposit Insurance Corporation (CUDIC), which provides deposit insurance for all eligible deposits held with BC credit unions. CUDIC has made deposit insurance safe and simple, so you maintain your financial peace of mind. All eligible deposits are automatically 100% guaranteed, including all money on deposit with a BC credit union, including foreign currencies and accrued interest, regardless of the length of the term of maturity. No limits on dollar amount. No application required. (Credit union equity shares and investments such as mutual funds or RRSP equity plans are not covered by CUDIC.)
