RICH HISTORY North Shore banks aid community’s affluent lifestyle THE NORTH Shore has literally earned its present day status as one of the country’s cushiest communities. And the banks have been here from the beginning, growing lock step with the community, guarding the green and lending a helping hand to those whose hands were out. Both old money and new have looked to invest in a future with firm roots on the North Shore. The Bank of British North America set up shop with a branch at Lonsdale and Esplanade as early as 1905. The bank had the field to itself until 1910 when the Bank of Hamilton built on the corner of Lonsdale and First Street, and the Royal Bank, one of today’s North American banking world ‘Big Five’, opened for business at Lonsdale and Second Street. The Royal Bank opened its main branch in West Vancouver, May 3, * 1920. Today the Royal Bank's presence on the North Shore in- cludes nine branches, with three in West Vancouver and six in North Vancouver, and 14 ‘‘Per- sonal Touch’’ banking machines. MORE BORROWING The Royal’s Jack Nicolson, marketing and sales manager for the North Shore, says the bank’s primary contemporary concerns are the support and development of the independent business sector as well as servicing larger commer- cial accounts. “Thirty years ago we only had two types of accounts — savings and current accounts for business people. The interest offered was somewhere between 1.5 and three per cent,’’ Nicolson explains. Today he sees a trend towards more borrowing and points out that institutions and the public in general are more careful with in- vestments and savings. ‘‘To bor- row 30 years ago was more dif- ficult, you had to be a_ well established client with the assets to cover your debt,’’ Nicolson said. Today’s banking world is mark- ed by an often bewildering array of consumer service options. The Royal Bank is in the thick of the financing fray, stepping into new territory with unique services in- cluding a buy-back car loan op- tion. Many institutions are gambling on the automatic banking machine as the improved services foot soldier in the competitive banking scramble for a firmer foothold on the new client frontier. Nicolson says the Royal Bank is “continually looking to expand offsite banking facilities.”* LOCALLY BORN With 45 years of service on the North Shore, North Shore Com- munity Credit Union represents the By MICHAEL BECKER News Reporter only financial institution actually born and bred on the North Shore. Founded May 7, 1941, the earli- est incarnation of the credit union operated from the basement of the home of the _ institution's first manager, Tom Dearlove. {n its first 30 years of operation, assets hit close to $4 million. The following 12 years saw that figure increase by a whopping $206 mil- lion to $210 million — the bottom line on the extent of North Shore community acceptance of the cred- it union. Rob Thomas, marketing man- ager at the credit union’s head of- fice at 1112 Lonsdale Avenue, says most of the institution’s invest- ment thrust is in B.C. “We're involved in financing commercial mortgages and carry a large percentage of personal mor- tgages on the North Shore,"’ said Thomas. With five branches on the North Shore, and five more on the Lower Mainland, North Shore Communi- ty Credit Union is the sixth largest credit union in B.C. and the !6th largest in Canada. Thomas says the institution was the first to offer cash machines in B.C. MANY FIRSTS The credit union offers a dizzy- ing choice of service and invest- ment options — many of which were firsts for the provincial credit union movement and the Canadian banking world in general. ‘*People are tired of impersonal service,’* said Thomas. ‘‘The cred- it union movement is based on the human element. We can respond to the needs of the community bet- ter than the banking branch plant mentality, and we’re more flexible than the banks to create products to meet needs.”’ Michael Guterres, administrative manager at the Bank of B.C.’s 15th and Lonsdale branch says his bank is out to bank on B.C. A large component of the bank’s strategy includes ‘tpronounced ex- pansion of retail services through exchange machines at key retail areas on the North Shore.”’ The Bank of B.C., a relative baby on the banking block, first arrived on the North Shore in North Vancouver Feb. 11, 1971, and in West Vancouver Sept. 30, 197). INNOVATIVE An innovative institution from See Lacal Page 28 NOVA LUMBER 200 Bridge, North Vancouver From 12 employees in 1950 to 150 in 1986, Nova is a supplier of lumber to loca! and international markets. We're proud of our success, and proud to be part of the community. SEASPAN ek 5 PULA The werd hds.come’a tong way an waiter, wheels and wings which is one of the reasons EXPO 86 is paying tribute to transportation this year. For over half a century, Sedspan International has been an important transportation fink in British Columbia and the Pacific northwest. In this province where the ocean will always be a principal highway, Seaspan has kept tratfic moving for major industries and for the communities and cities that have grown around them. Today, as yesterday, Seaspan’s people anticipate and prepare for the future of British Columbia with the most versatile fleet of tugs and barges in the business. Seaspan pulls for the future. It alvays has.