Development progress
Ivujivik and Kangirsuk – June 1st, 2010
We would like to welcome the populations and organizations of Ivujivik and Kangirsuk, where our services are now available, thanks to the coop directors and staff collaboration.
Money transfers and bill payments can be done online at www.desjardins.com on a dedicated computer for our members. Cash or check deposits can be done at the coop administration office, without any fees, and they are registered in the member’s account the same day.
Online business is the keyword for our services in Nunavik. Desjardins AccèsD services are available online and by phone 24 hours a day on www.desjardins.com or at 1-800-CAISSES (1-800-224-7737) to assist all members to become autonomous in their financial transactions.
We would also like to take this opportunity again to invite all Nunavik organizations to do business with Desjardins. It still is the best way to insure long term services to the entire community while using the professional services of the 6th largest Financial Institution in Canada.
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Season’s Greetings – December 17th, 2009
Season’s Greetings to all of our 2260 members. May this Holiday Season bring you happiness, health, prosperity and continued success for the upcoming New Year. Your continued support and encouragement benefits not only our members, but all Nunavimmiut and for that, we Thank You.
Our Holiday Schedule is as follows:
• December 24th 10:00 to 12:00
• December 25th Closed
• December 28th Closed
• December 29th Regular Work Schedule
• December 30th Regular Work Schedule
• December 31st 10:00 to 12:00
• January 1st, 2010 Closed
• January 4th, 2010 Closed
We also would like to periodically update our active organization members of your Nunavik Financial Services Cooperative and to welcome them:
Saint-Edmund Anglican Church of Kuujjuaraapik (member since February 2009),
Bible Study Group of Kuujjuaraapik (member since March 2009),
Saint-Mathew's Anglican Church of Puvirnituq (member since July 2009),
Holy Trinity Anglican Church of Kangirsuk (member since July 2009) and,
Church of the Epiphany of Umiujaq (member since October 2009).
Church Directors attending a presentation of Desjardins
Services last April in Puvirnituq Anglican Church
Puvirnituq Anglican Church
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Your Bill Payment System in Nunavik – October 15th, 2009
Did you know that you can now make payments through AccèsD for more and more institutions unique to Nunavik? They include:
• Nunavik Communications
• Tamaani
• All 14 Coops including Loans, Cable, Internet and Regular Accounts
• FCNQ Loans
• FCNQ Travel
• FCNQ Construction
• VISA (from Desjardins and other financial intuitions as well)
• Sears
• Bell Canada Telephone and Satellite
• SAAQ - Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec
• And over 3000 others (please go to www.desjardins.com to see the complete list)
Our virtual banking is safe, efficient, and accessible, anywhere and at anytime and best of all, it’s easy to use. We are here to help you, so come speak with your advisor at your local Desjardins Nunavik Financial Services Cooperative, in your local Coop.
Did you also know that Desjardins Group stands out from other financial institutions through its cooperative approach, which prioritizes members’ and clients’ interests? Almost 110 years after the first Caisse was founded, Desjardins Group is the top financial institution in Québec, the sixth largest in Canada and the largest financial cooperative in the country. Its cooperative business model is more relevant than ever and focused on building the future.
Nunavik Financial Services Cooperative – together, securing our financial independence.
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Update to our services – May 13th, 2009
It is our pleasure to announce the opening of our 9th point of service in Nunavik. Since April 27, 2009, you have been able to receive our services at Umiujaq. Mrs. Louisa Tookalook, who is also the Coop’s General Manager, is offering our services Monday to Friday from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. .
As of recent, all Tamaani invoices can now be paid through AccèsD at www.desjardins.com Please take a moment to view the complete list of eligible organizations that can be paid through the AccèsD, since more are being added regularly.
And lastly, in order to harmonize our services, our points of service, with the exception of Umijuaq and Quebec, will be closing at 4:00 PM on Fridays starting the first Friday in June. Umijuaq and Quebec will be closing at 3:30 PM.
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A Social Caisse in Nunavik – April 16th, 2009
In collaboration with the FCNQ (Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec), the Caisse d’économie solidaire has furthered its goal towards establishing the Nunavik Financial Services Cooperative.
As of December 31st, 1734 people as well as 24 businesses have become members of our fourth service center after only 13 months in operation.
At the end of 2008, 16 bilingual or trilingual employees were serving seven northern villages including Salluit, Akulivik, Kangiqsualujjuaq, Puvirnituq, Inukjuak, Kuujjuaraapik-Whapmagoostui, Kangiqsujuaq and Kuujjuaq. Training these new employees has remained a high priority throughout the year.
Following a FCNQ initiative, our Nunavik Financial Services Cooperative was the first northern cooperative to offer free reusable, washable bags to all its members, thus reducing the use of plastic in one of the world’s most fragile ecosystems.
Our hope is that many more Inuit organizations become members of the Nunavik Financial Services Cooperative in 2009 thus ensuring the continued existence of a firmly rooted financial cooperative in the northernmost region affiliated with the Desjardins movement.
Download our Annual Report (in English - PDF format)
Have a look at our Annual Report online (in French)
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Happy New Year! – January 1st, 2009
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We would like to wish a marvelous New Year to our 1800 members. May the year bring you happiness, good health and prosperity. We would also like to welcome two new employees who recently joined our team: Mary Hannah Angatookalook works at our Kuujjuaraapik - Whapmagoostui office and Marie-Ève Filion at our Puvirnituq office. Here is a short article about our Quebec city Liaison Officer, Alasie Iqiquq : |
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North-South Liason Over the past year, Alasie Iqiquq has been fulfilling a long time dream. ‘‘I am so proud to be helping the people of my community reach greater autonomy by assisting them with their financial needs.’’ Part of her daily schedule consists of answering incoming calls from the North in Inuktitut, opening accounts, completing documents and registering direct deposits. She handles all these job requirements from her desk at NFSC Quebec service center, 1000 km away from her native village. |
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Alasie plays an active role within the Nunavik Financial Services Cooperative which has already opened its doors to eight communities since 2007. Born in Puvurnituq, Alasie was anxious to discover what lay beyond the borders of her village. At age 20, she left on a tour of Nunavik. In 2002, she headed south to Quebec, where she remained for three years all the while gaining knowledge of the French language and being trained in accounting. Her next trip south landed her in the nation’s capital in 2008 where she obtained a position with la Caisse d’économie solidaire as a liaison between Nunavik and the south of Quebec.
As of January 5th, 2008, Alasie has been working in the Caisse solidaire’s Quebec offices. How are her days filled? For one thing, being fluent in three languages, she is able to answer member questions in Inuktitut, bridge gaps with a francophone employer and help an English-speaking Inuit, all in the same morning. Wondering what the Inuktitut word for bank card is? Amousivik. What about bank account? Quinaujaquvimmi quinaujaqautik. Not an easy job translating words with financial meaning into a language where these terms may not yet exist! Fortunately, bilingual members of the community are able to help their elders understand the meaning behind new terms.
Alasie does a wonderful job of maintaining member relations. She finds herself at times, however, having to draw the line between the type of services offered by the Caisse and the enormous social needs of her community. Alasie remains confident that the Caisse will contribute towards improving living conditions among the Inuit population. This same trust has been expressed by residents of Alasie’s village who have become members of the Nunavik Financial Services Cooperative, even though they recall the failure to integrate such services over 40 years ago.
Alasie hopes to spend many years alongside the Nunavik Financial Services Cooperative, all the while watching it prosper and contributing to its success. The Caisse d’économie solidaire’s vision is to see the Inuit people regain their autonomy as well as their dignity.
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The Nunavik Financial Services Cooperative presents an ecobag
Press Release
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Salluit, Akulivik, Inukjuak, Kangiqsualujjuaq, Kangiqsujuaq, Kuujjuaraapik, Kuujjuaq, Puvirnituq, December 12th, 2008 – As a cooperative, Nunavik Financial Services Cooperative is committed to protect its members, and therefore the environment. NFSC is proud to be the first cooperative in Nunavik to provide free reusable bags to decrease the use of plastic bags. Supported by FCNQ and its 14 member cooperatives in Nunavik, as well as Desjardins, the ecobag will, if used on a regular basis, substantially |
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help decrease the number of 2.5 billion plastic bags used each year in Québec. NFSC encourages Nunavimmiut to use the ecobag. This gesture will contribute to the beautification of Nunavik communities. For NFSC, the ecobag represents a way to express its gratitude to all those who share in the continuous efforts made by Inuit to live autonomously. The ecobag is durable, washable and recyclable.
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First school caisse in Nunavik – November 1st, 2008
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Ms. Rita Novalinga, FCNQ General Manager, and Sokchiveneath Chhoan, one of the two NFSC coordinators, made a presentation on the Nunavik Financial Services Cooperative to the Kativik Local Development Center during their 10th Anniversary reunion on August 12th. They also made a presentation to the Kativik Regional Government during their 30th Anniversary reunion on September 18th. While the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal toured in Nunavik, Yvon Roy, the second NFSC coordinator, visited our co-op offices. He took advantage of this trip to give additional training to our NFSC employees and to make new financial products available. He also met with different co-op members and organizations, accompanied by our Nunavik advisors. His visit made it possible for cooperatives to sign many service agreements with different business enterprises and organizations from Kuujjuaq, Kangiqsujuaq, Salluit and Inukjuak. Last October, a school caisse pilot project was initiated for grades 4 to 7 students at the Ulluriaq School in Kangiqsualujjuaq. Fifty-six students opened an account and deposited their first savings which totaled $415.68. This first Nunavik school caisse will be a very useful tool to encourage younger generations to save their money. We would like to thank the Principal and teachers of the Ulluriaq School as well as Mary Annanack, our NFSC advisor, for this great initiative. Peter Papyarluk and Daphne Tooktoo, NFSC advisors, took advantage of Mr. Roy’s visit to hold an open telephone line at the Kuujjuaraapik Inuit community radio. Co-op members and the public at large asked many questions about our services. |
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A Warm Welcome to our 1000th Member – August 1st, 2008
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On June 26th, Simeonie Epoo became the 1000th member of the Nunavik financial services cooperative (NFSC). He opened his account in Kuujjuaq with the help of his new adviser Andrea Makiuk Roy. He was given a bag full of gifts from Desjardins Financial Security, VISA, AccèsD and the Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec. The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, partly sponsored by the NFSC, will tour in three Nunavik communities from September 11th to 15th 2008. Lead by Maestro Kent Nagano, seven musicians along with two Inuit throat singers and an Inuit actor will play in Inukjuak, Kangiqsujjuaq and Kuujjuaq. We are proud to participate in this cultural premiere. On July 31st, after eight months of operation, our coop had 1212 personal members and 12 corporate members. At that time, the deposits totaled $5,045,682. |
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Now Serving in 8 Communities - June 1st, 2008
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On May 26th, the Nunavik Financial Services Cooperative completed its Kuujjuaq team and opened its doors in four new communities: Inukjuak, Kangiqsujuaq, Kuujuaraapik-Whapmagoostui and Puvirnituq. It is with great pleasure that ten new employees joined the Cooperative after two weeks of training from May 12th to May 23rd at Puvirnituq. Currently deployed in eight offices, the Cooperative already had 880 members on May 31st. Nunavik Financial Services Cooperative development plan is going on as scheduled. The population's strong adhesion with every opening foretells that this project will progress smoothly in the next few months. |
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March 1st, 2008
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In 2007, the Caisse d'économie solidaire Desjardins enthusiastically agreed to lend a helping hand to the Nunavik community by injecting the area with a financial cooperative affiliated with the Desjardins network. |
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Three months after having opened its doors, 494 people and businesses had already become members of our fourth service center in Nunavik. The volume in savings amounted to 3.5 million dollars.
Last November, a team of eight bilingual Inuit employees was brought together in order to serve the three northern villages of Salluit, Akulivik and Kangiqsualujjuaq. We also have a Caisse representative in Kuujjuaq as well as in our Quebec City offices.
Five new offices are now in the planning stages and will add ten more counselors serving Puvirnituq, Inukjuak, Kuujjuaraapik, Kangiqsujuaq and Kuujjuaq by year's end. The needs of 80% of the population within this vast territory will then be met through service centers based throughout the community. The six smaller communities will have access to partial services before the last phase of this project is completed over the summer of 2009.
The Caisse d'économie solidaire considers the creation of a financial cooperative serving the 14 Inuit villages to be a legitimate project for the Nunavik community. It will satisfy the need for both autonomy as well as economic development.
Even though hurdles are in place due to the vastness of the territory to be covered and the dispersal of its population, we are convinced that by utilizing available technology we will be in a position to create a financial cooperative capable of handling the various needs of its clientele while still remaining profitable. Beginning in September 2008, an added bonus will be having the Caisse d'économie solidaire share its knowledge in the area of socially responsible personal finances.
This project could not have been successfully carried out without the financial support of Kativik CLD funding start-up costs as well as the Kativik Regional Administration supporting job creation.
The Caisse d'économie solidaire has been a proud sponsor of the Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec since 1993. We will continue working together towards ensuring that every one of our members play an active role in his or her personal and collective future.