Business View Magazine Apr-2023

112 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 4 he original Kingston Municipal Employees Credit Union in Kingston, Ontario was founded in 1957 by a small group of the city’s workers – police, firefighters, bus drivers, and the like. “At that time, these people, who had steady jobs as municipal employees, did not have ready access to credit, or were not looked well-upon by the big banks,” recalls the credit union’s current CEO, John Dessau. “A number of them banded together and contributed a little capital to start a credit union so that they could offer deposits and loans to each other. And it has grown since then.” In 1974, the modern Kingston Community Credit Union (KCCU) was born when it opened its membership to workers in other industries, and subsequently to the entire Kingston community, truly earning the right to call itself a community-based credit union. “We serve the community as a whole and not just employees at specific workplaces,” Dessau maintains. “When people have deposit needs or credit needs, we’re open to all and have products that should suit all – anyone with means or lack of means. KCCU plays a special role of being there for the ‘underbanked’ who have difficulties in the financial system.” As a community-based credit union, KCCU is owned by its members and administered by a Board of Directors chosen by and from T Putting the community and its members top of its agenda, Kingston Community Credit Union provides the financial lead ED AND NCE