Canadian Western Bank Donates More Than $350,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters Agencies Across Western Canada

EDMONTON, ALBERTA--(Marketwired - Dec. 18, 2014) - Canadian Western Bank (CWB) is pleased to make donations totaling $353,700 to Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) agencies across Western Canada thanks to The Greater Interest GIC® campaign. Now in its seventh year, the campaign has generated more than $1.6 million in total donations to children's charities in CWB's core markets.

"We are absolutely thrilled with the success of this year's campaign," said Peter Morrison, Senior Vice President, Business and Personal Banking. "Our employees and clients greatly value the opportunity to support their communities, and this campaign is a great way for them to do that. Our clients benefit, our communities benefit and our employees benefit. It really is wins all around."

The Greater Interest GIC, offered annually in September and October, gives clients the opportunity to invest in a guaranteed investment product with a competitive rate-of-return, while making a positive impact in local communities. Based on every dollar invested in the product, CWB makes a corporate donation to the local BBBS organization in the community where the investment was made. Clients have the option to choose from four rates based on terms ranging from 13 to 49 months.

"It continues to be a great pleasure to work with CWB," says Justine Greene, Executive Director of Big Sisters of BC Lower Mainland. "As a corporate partner that supports and champions mentorship in our community, CWB has been instrumental in helping us work towards our vision of providing a mentor for every child who needs one. The funds raised through The Greater Interest GIC campaign have ensured hundreds of children have been matched with a life-changing friend."

"The magic of this contribution from CWB is that it will change the lives of thousands of children in 2015," added Liz O'Neill, Executive Director of Boys and Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton and Area. "We're proud to partner with the team at CWB and look forward to continuing to grow our relationship."

About Canadian Western Bank

Canadian Western Bank offers highly personalized service through 41 branch locations and is the largest publicly traded Canadian bank headquartered in Western Canada. The Bank specializes in mid-market commercial lending and offers a full complement of personal banking services. The Bank, along with its operating affiliates, National Leasing, Canadian Western Trust, Valiant Trust, Canadian Direct Insurance, Adroit Investment Management, McLean & Partners Wealth Management, and Canadian Western Financial, collectively offer a diversified range of financial services across Canada and are together known as Canadian Western Bank Group. Refer to cwb.com for additional information.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada

For more than one hundred years, Big Brothers Big Sisters has been making a positive difference in the lives of Canada's youth by developing and implementing a wide range of mentoring programs. Serving as role models, volunteer mentors teach by example the importance of giving and giving back, of staying in school, and of having respect for family peers and community. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada provides quality mentoring services for more than 42,000 children and teenagers. Big Brothers Big Sisters currently has over 36,000 volunteer mentors working at 115 agencies that serve children in over 1,100 communities across the country. Learn how you can start something at bigbrothersbigsisters.ca.