(Cam Lee/northeastNOW Staff)

By Cam Lee

Affinity Renovations

Affinity Credit Union branch renovations continue

Feb 14, 2020 | 5:00 PM

The extensive renovations continue at Affinity Credit Union in Melfort.

Members and employees have had to adapt to the renos over the past few months.

Chief Financial Officer Lise de Moissac told northeastNOW the renovations have gone relatively smoothly thus far.

“When you’re dealing with three or four different segments to an existing building, that makes for a renovation that can be relatively complex,” de Moissac said.

She said there have been some challenges, including the different elevations of the roof, the older existing electrical wiring and plumbing, and different wall structures.

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Work is taking place on the roof and the interior of Affinity Credit Union in Melfort. (Cam Lee/northeastNOW Staff)

The original building was constructed in 1958, and there have been multiple renovations and additions since that time, according to de Moissac.

“While it’s still fairly appealing on the exterior, and it’s in a prime location, the inside is no longer very appealing,” de Moissac said.

She said the current setup doesn’t really mesh with the way the Credit Union interacts with members, as it did originally. de Moissac called the branch setup “traditional”, with personal bankers hidden away in back offices. The branch manager was also in an office in the back.

The executive team had oversized offices on the main floor, de Moissac said, while the administrative staff and the staff kitchen were both in the basement.

Banking has changed drastically of late, according to de Moissac. She said many more day-to-day transactions are happening online, while members come in for advice and longer conversations.

“They also expect, I think, that their Affinity branch or advice centre is a place to connect with community. At the same time, I would say that our personal bankers are much more mobile and they’re only in the office part-time, so our members will see that personal offices or private offices are not as important as they once were,” de Moissac said.

She said the new space will allow for member interaction and will continue to be a collaborative area, but will also offer privacy when required.

“When members walk into this new design they’ll see all of our staff, they won’t just see the people that were on the former teller line,” de Moissac said.

She added the space is meant to mimic the way the staff behaves – sunny, professional, open, and friendly.

A digital rendering of what the inside of Melfort’s Affinity Credit Union will look like after renovations. (Submitted photo/Affinity Credit Union)

de Moissac said it was an easy decision to make a substantial investment on Main St. in Melfort.

“The city is a real business hub for us and we’re proud to be part of what creates [the] economy in the area, that’s jobs, support for businesses, ag, and otherwise, as well as all of our personal business that we do with new and existing members,” de Moissac said.

She said Affinity is hoping the membership base and the town itself is as excited about the project as they are.

The renovations are expected to be complete by mid-year, and de Moissac said they are very appreciative of the staff’s patience during the disruption.

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cam.lee@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @camlee1974