Welcome back and Happy New Year to all Conexus, Cornerstone and Synergy team members!
We hope you had a festive holiday season and are ready to navigate the proposed merger journey with us. We are committed to keeping you informed and to keeping transparency at the heart of our communication. As promised, here are the latest updates directly from us—where we are today and what’s next.
Your participation in this journey is essential. Every interaction you have with our members is an opportunity to build trust and showcase the benefits a potential merger could bring. We’re here to support you in becoming confident ambassadors for this exciting possibility, empowering you with the tools and information you need to make a difference.
We also want to hear from you! Your voice matters as we envision a credit union that grows with our members, evolves with our communities, and remains sustainable for the future. Together, let’s build something extraordinary.
Thank you for your continued dedication, professionalism, and commitment to shaping the future of our credit unions. Here is our January (monthly) update and what’s next.
1. Member announcements
On November 20, we made our official announcement to our members regarding our intent to explore a potential merger. Our members received our messages through:
- Credit union public websites
- Social Media – Facebook, X (Synergy CU), LinkedIn and Instagram
- In branch TV displays
- IVR Messaging at each Call Centre
- Digital Banking Messaging
- Key Stakeholder Outreach (emails and phone calls)
- Media Release – to media outlets across Saskatchewan and Canada
- Launch of the www.thrivingtogethersk.ca microsite
Overall, we would describe the response of our members to be positive or neutral at this stage.
2. Due Diligence
We are in the due diligence phase, which is tailored to focus on critical areas and deliver risk-based diligence to support boards and management teams in making informed decisions regarding the merger. Due diligence is a key component of the business case informing the recommendation to our members.
To comply with Competition Bureau regulations, information from each credit union is being shared with collaborating third parties directly. We must carefully manage the flow of information between us as we remain independent organizations at this stage of the process.
Our sincere gratitude to everyone contributing to this project— your contributions are laying the groundwork for an informed and thoughtful recommendation!
What’s Next in January
1. Due Diligence continues
This phase will continue into February as the teams supporting the JPC gather and provide critical information to help shape the business case. The final business case will be presented to the Boards of each partner credit union in late March or early April for a decision on whether to proceed with a member vote.
2. Employee sentiment polling and cultural assessment
Gathering input and insights from employees and members is a key part of this process. A merger of this scale involves significant work and investment, and our Boards are committed to ensuring everyone is well-informed and engaged throughout the journey.
Starting January 6, you’ll receive an email with a link to a survey from one of the following addresses:
- Conexus & Sentis Research (conexus@sentis.ca)
- Cornerstone & Sentis Research (cornerstone@sentis.ca)
- Synergy & Sentis Research (synergy@sentis.ca)
The survey will take 4–5 minutes to complete and will remain open until January 17.
To ensure everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts, we’ve partnered with Sentis Research, an independent research company, to host the survey. Sentis will compile and summarize the results, providing only aggregated responses to ensure anonymity. Your feedback is valuable – thank you for taking the time to share your voice!
Following the Sentis “sentiment” survey, please keep an eye out for a cultural assessment survey which should come straight to your inbox. More information to be provided soon.
3. Member Polling
Members will receive a similar survey starting January 21, which will close on February 7. Sentis Research will send the survey directly to members email addresses on file. To encourage participation and to include those members without an email address, a generic link and QR code will also be shared across our credit union channels.
Our Ask of You
Please actively participate in this process and share your voice. Your input is essential in helping us address the information you need to feel confident and informed along the way.
We also ask for your support in encouraging members to take part in the survey. The more we learn from both employees and members, the better equipped we are to meet their needs and guide this process effectively. Thank you for being part of this journey!