Kingsville – The Town of Kingsville has a new access point to the Chrysler Canada Greenway, thanks to the opening of the WFCU Credit Union Community Entrance. On Thursday, June 2, dozens of trail enthusiasts gathered to celebrate its opening in time for International Trails Day, which is recognized annually on the first Saturday in June.
Located on Union Avenue (County Rd. 34) in Kingsville, the WFCU Credit Union Community Entrance is the first point of welcome to the Town of Kingsville for walkers, joggers and cyclists travelling from the east along the Chrysler Canada Greenway. The WFCU Credit Union Community Entrance features a resting area, bike repair station, parking and signage to promote this trail access point in Kingsville.
“Giving back to the communities we serve is part of our mission as a credit union,” said Eddie Francis, President and CEO of WFCU Credit Union. “This entrance represents our continuous investment in Essex County and the importance of providing further opportunity and experiences for our members, their families, and the communities that welcome us.”
The Chrysler Canada Greenway opened in the year 2000 and stretches nearly 50 kilometres from Leamington to Harrow, and then north to Tecumseh. It intersects with the Cypher Systems Group Greenway which connects Amherstburg to the urban centre of Essex. With the addition of the Rotary (1918) Centennial Hub in 2017, the system now connects all municipalities in the Windsor-Essex region with safe, off-road trails.
“Trails increase the value of nearby properties, boost spending at local businesses, and provide active transportation to cut fuel expenses – something important to all of us these days,” said Mr. Claire Wales, President of the Essex Region Conservation Foundation. “Homebuyers rank walking and biking paths as one of the most important features in choosing where they want to live. The new WFCU Credit Union Community Entrance is an important amenity that enhances the trail system in our region, encourages healthy lifestyles, and provides an economic benefit to the Town of Kingsville, and the entire Windsor-Essex community.”
“The addition of this new community entrance defines the very essence of community and what it takes to support the health and vitality of all those who have chosen to call Kingsville, and more specifically, Ruthven, their home. Community partners, like today’s commitment from WFCU, understand this sense of community and we are thankful to them for helping create these places for life and quality of life with us,” added Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos.
“On behalf of the families who will access the Greenway trails through the WFCU Credit Union Community Entrance for recreational enjoyment; members of the workforce who will use it for environmentally-friendly and lower cost transportation; from the businesses who will benefit and from the community at large – we thank you,” said ERCA Chair Tania Jobin.
WFCU Credit Union has been recognized as a leading, progressive financial institution headquartered in Windsor and Essex County since 1940. Proudly serving Ontario residents, community organizations, small businesses, commercial entities and public institutions for over 80 years, WFCU Credit Union is the sixth largest credit union in Ontario, and twentieth largest credit union in Canada. WFCU Credit Union operates nine retail locations in Windsor-Essex, as well as three retail locations in the Waterloo Region through ECU – A Division of WFCU Credit Union and one digital entity, Omnia Direct. Through their variety of service channels, including online and mobile banking, telephone banking and ATM services, WFCU Credit Union and its divisions have become the financial institutions of choice for 60,511 members across Ontario, including 55,903 personal members in 25,103 households, 3,238 businesses and 1,370 organizations. Currently, WFCU Credit Union has $8.11 billion in Managed assets and Member Service Totals of $10.8 billion. WFCU Credit Union membership is open to anyone who lives and/or works in Ontario.
Since 1977, the Essex Region Conservation Foundation has been raising funds to support conservation projects such as greening the Essex region, connecting the region by trails, inspiring future generations through conservation education, and preserving our heritage.
