Supporting Small Businesses Every Season

While February brings the heart of winter to Nova Scotia, we have officially made it through the darkest weeks of the season. Though winter continues around us, February brings us a moment of warmth and recognition with African Heritage Month in Nova Scotia. This is the time where we celebrate the many foundational and continued achievements and contributions of Black Canadians to the nation’s history, culture and economy.

Submissions for our 2026 Community Investment Grant Program have now closed, and we had a fantastic number of applications with 567 submissions from across the Province. Thank you to everyone who took the time to apply for a grant. Our team is hard at work reading about the projects and the great work that’s taking place in our communities. We are pleased to see how many impactful projects are already or will soon be underway with meaningful economic, social and environmental benefits. The recipients from the five categories will be announced at the end of March.  For any organizations that may have applied and would also like to discuss other financing options, please reach out to a member of our team at any time, or consider exploring the Canadian Small Business Financing Program or the Nova Scotia Small Business Loan Guarantee Program.

While talking about the importance of small businesses, I wanted to remind everyone about our Community Partners Program. This Program is a way we connect Nova Scotian businesses with CUA members through exclusive offers and discounts.

When you’re out shopping, look for the blue CUA Community Partner sticker and simply show your CUA debit card to receive the benefits. To make your Valentine’s Day easy this year, we’re featuring Jake’s Florist & Chocolatier as our February Partner of the Month.  You’ll receive 10% off all purchases, including the perfect flowers or treats for your loved ones. This Program is open to all Nova Scotian businesses, so if you own or operate a business and would like to join, you can easily sign up on our website.

I want to conclude with a final reminder for everyone that the last day for RRSP contributions for the 2025 tax year is coming up on March 2, 2026. If you still plan to contribute before the deadline, please make sure you’re incorporating processing times into your schedule, as they can take anywhere between one to four business days. If you are worried you haven’t made enough of a contribution this year, our RRSP Loan is a great way to maximize your contribution and potentially secure a tax refund. If you want to make additional contributions or have any questions about our RRSP Loan, please reach out to a team member.

As always, if you have any questions about one of CUA’s products or services, or want to take part in our Community Partners Program, please reach out to a member of our team at 902.492.6500, book an appointment online or email us at info@cua.com.

Your CEO,