Growing a business and growing a community go hand in hand for Canadian Western Bank. And when it comes to what makes a community, health is a priority. “It’s always been our philosophy to invest in communities where we operate,” says Michael Yeung, Assistant Vice President & Branch Manager, Richmond Branch.
With headquarters in Edmonton, branches across BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and business right across Canada, Canadian Western Bank is at its heart, a locally focused bank, Michael says. “That’s what attracted me here. My focus is Richmond. One of my mandates is to connect all the major business partners in the community and work with them so that we can create a network and do business together. We also want to apply that same concept to our community investment.”
The Richmond branch is a full service branch that’s now five years old and provides real estate financing such as land acquisition, land servicing, construction and income producing properties. The team also provides hotel, seniors housing, working capital financing, cash management solutions, residential mortgage lending and also comprehensive wealth management and estate services. The Richmond location has seen its staff nearly double, reflecting the economic growth that Richmond is experiencing. And while the branch is successful in business, Michael says it’s important to step back and look at how we can help benefit and be relevant in the entire community.
“If we want Richmond to be the best place to live in the world, health care is a critical piece of that. We need the best infrastructure…Everybody understands how important Richmond Hospital is to the community. I’ve had the opportunity to understand its needs. I live and work in Richmond, and feel like I have a responsibility to do what I can to help close any gaps that might exist at our hospital. We all want to have the best health care. And we want it close to home.”
As a Committee member of Richmond Hospital Foundation’s Golf Tournament, which takes place on June 6, Canadian Western Bank will be asking its clients to make a donation in support of a state-of-the-art portable patient monitor for the Emergency Department. The life-saving equipment monitors a patient’s condition anywhere in the Emergency Department allowing doctors and nurses to provide the very best care during a rapidly evolving situation.
To show how serious he and his colleague, Andrew Lam, Assistant Vice President, Commercial Banking, are about their fundraising, they have both vowed to shave their heads if they reach their $20,000 goal. “It will nearly be summer by that point. Hopefully it will be warmer then,” he says.
"My family has depended on Richmond Hospital. I’ve needed to visit the Emergency Department myself. My two sons were born at Richmond Hospital, and it was a great experience. We can’t just sit back and rely on other people to help. Having a local hospital that’s well equipped to look after the health care needs of the Richmond citizens here is crucial and we can all make a difference.”
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