After a crash course on credit unions from the Affinity crew, we realized this was not just their story to tell—it belongs to the people who fought for a fairer system, to those who followed in their footsteps, and to everyone who continues to better our community today. So, instead of telling Affinity’s history in our words, we shared the words of someone who was actually there: lifelong co-operative champion Harold Chapman.

We kicked things off by meeting with, becoming enamoured by, and interviewing Harold. No spoilers if you haven’t seen the video, but he had a lot of stories to tell about his experience growing up in Saskatchewan during the Depression. After gathering the deets, we created a narrative and asked Harold to record a voice-over.

This served as the central element of the video. Using a combination of actors and current-day Harold, we brought his experiences to life and told the story of why credit unions formed in Saskatchewan—and the importance of keeping this history alive today.

The video was directed by our in-house videographer, Carl Sheldon, and honestly, it’s stunning. To drive home the emotional component and local flavour, we commissioned custom music composed by members of the Saskatoon-born-and-bred band Close Talker.

Along with holding a premiere event at Affinity and a special screening for Harold’s independent living community, the video was presented at Affinity advice centres throughout the province and used on YouTube, social media, and the Affinity website.