Following an increased threat to the safety of staff and customers at its 20th Street location, Affinity Credit Union has sold the building and transferred all employees to the Aspen Ridge branch.  

Senior Director of Marketing and Communications Cecelia Zerr says the safety decision was made in late 2023, and notice was given to all members before the start of 2024. Services were no longer being provide out of the building starting in April 2024.  

“I think the fabric of the neighborhood had changed, and that some of the concerns around the safety of our employees and members were top of mind for us. That led to eventually announcing the closure.”

Zerr says the closure is not propositioned as a relocation, as members can continue their business at any other Affinity location in the city, with the centre at 33rd and Avenue P being the closest in proximity to the closing location. Zerr says they can also utilize electronic banking. 

The 20th Street building was sold to Saskatoon Community Clinic, located across the street, which plans to expand its healthcare services and provide more services to the people of the Pleasant Hill neighborhood under one roof. 

“Choosing the buyer for the building, we wanted to make sure that it was an organization that was going to continue ensuring that there was a positive impact to the greater community, and I think we did that with selecting the Saskatoon Community Clinic Foundation,” Zerr explains.

Lisa Clatney, the Clinic’s Executive Director, says the transaction has been in the works since May when Affinity put out an expression of interest.  She says they take possession July 17, and she expects some services will be offered out of the new facility as early as this summer. 

“What we’re hoping to do is collaborate and work differently with some of our community-based organizations that work in close partnership with us to be able to provide more services,” she explains. “Right now, we’re constrained. The number of patients we are able to provide care to is dependent on the number of staff that we’re funded. Our hope is, now that we will have more space, that we could accept more patients, because we know that’s definitely a need and there is a shortage of family physicians and healthcare providers in general in the province.”

She says due to the need for healthcare providers and family physicians in the province, she hopes to obtain more funding to go along with the new space, which will allow for the hiring of additional staff, and ultimately the treatment of more patients.  

“Acquiring the building is more than a real estate transaction. It really is investment in the health and wellbeing of our community.”