Resolving your concerns

What you need to know about complaint handling

We take your complaints seriously. We will handle them fairly and appropriately, and always endeavour to provide you with a high standard of service. We value your opinion and encourage you to tell us if you think we have been unsuccessful in dealing with you properly and fairly in any aspect of our business.

CWB, which includes Canadian Western Bank and its partner companies, is required to adhere to certain standards in dealing with the public. These standards include how we handle client complaints. Learn more about the steps in our complaint resolution process below.

On this page:

Step 1: Banking centre or business area Step 2: Complaints Handling Office Step 3: Office of Concern Resolution Step 4: Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

Step 1: Banking centre or business area

Talk to us.

We encourage clients to raise questions or concerns with their banking centre or business area as soon as they arise. Each location is supported by a leader with the decision-making authority to resolve most concerns.

Our banking centres and business areas strive to resolve concerns within 14 calendar days.

For concerns about investments purchased through a deposit broker representing CWB:

Broker Support
Toll-free: 1.800.663.1000
Email: [email protected]
Web: cwbdepositbroker.com

If you have a concern about a CWB Business Mastercard^® issued by BRIM, in addition to speaking to your banking centre, you may contact BRIM:

Toll-free: 1.877.252.4288
Email:[email protected]

If you have a concern about a CWB Personal Mastercard^® issued by BRIM, you may contact Customer Support:

Toll-free: 1.888.252.4201
Collect call: 1.647.252.4202

You may raise concerns directly, or escalate your concern at any time, to CWB Financial Group Complaints Handling Office. See step 2.

^®Mastercard is a registered trademark of Mastercard International Inc.

Step 2: Complaints Handling Office

Contact the Complaints Handling Office (CHO).

If we are unable to resolve your concern within 14 calendar days, it will automatically be escalated to the CHO. You may also raise concerns directly to the CHO.

The CHO is dedicated to investigating and resolving client concerns, and is the first level of escalation in our complaints handling process.

You may contact the CHO directly at any time to get an update on the status of your concern.

CWB Financial Group Complaints Handling Office
Canadian Western Bank
3000, 10303 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton Alberta T5J 3X6
Toll-free: 1.888.423.8854
Fax: 780.423.8897
Email: [email protected]

Step 3: Office of Concern Resolution

If the CHO does not provide a satisfactory resolution, you may escalate your concern to the CWB Office of Concern Resolution (the “OCR”).

The OCR provides an objective review of unresolved or complex concerns, and is a further level of escalation in our complaints handling process.

CWB Office of Concern Resolution
Canadian Western Bank
3000, 10303 Jasper Avenue
Edmonton Alberta T5J 3X6
Toll-free: 1.888.423.8854
Email: [email protected]

Recent activity of the Office of Concern Resolution

Activity of the Office of Concern Resolution (OCR) in our most recent fiscal year (ending October 31, 2023) is as follows
Number of complaints dealt with by the Senior Concern Resolution Advisor	10
Cases opened for Canadian Western Bank	9
Cases opened for Canadian Western Trust or Valiant Trust Company	1
Number of complaints Resolved	1
Number of complaints Closed	9
The average length of time to deal with these escalated complaints, from the first interaction with the Consumer to the date on which the complaint was Resolved or Closed	25 Days

Nature of each complaint and the product or service it was related to

	Product or Service	Complaint Description
Complaint 1	Investment	CRA over-contribution penalty
Complaint 2	Investment	Early GIC redemption
Complaint 3	Account	Inactive account charge
Complaint 4	Mortgage	Mortgage renewal
Complaint 5	Line of credit	Service
Complaint 6	Investment	Incorrect interest rate
Complaint 7	Investment	Service
Complaint 8	Account	Account refusal
Complaint 9	Investment	GIC disclosure corrections
Complaint 10	Account	Account refusal

Step 4: Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments

Contact the Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI).

If your concern is not resolved within 56 calendar days from the day you first notified us, or if the final response provided by the OCR is not satisfactory, you may then contact OBSI.

OBSI is an organization independent of the financial services industry which provides impartial dispute review and resolution services to consumers.

Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments
20 Queen Street West, Suite 2400
P.O. Box 8
Toronto Ontario M5H 3R3
Toll-free: 1.888.451.4519
Toll-free fax: 1.888.422.2865
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.obsi.ca

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada

CWB and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC)

The FCAC supervises federally regulated financial institutions like CWB to ensure we comply with federal consumer protection laws. The FCAC also educates customers and monitors industry codes of conduct and public commitments designed to protect your consumer interests.

At CWB, we must comply with a number of consumer laws designed to protect you. For example, we will provide you with information about our complaint handling procedures, proper notice of banking centre closures that affect you, and information about interest rates and fees when you open an account.

If you have a concern regarding potential violation of a consumer protection law, a public commitment, or an industry code of conduct, you can contact the FCAC:

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
427 Laurier Avenue West, 6th Floor
Ottawa Ontario K1R 1B9
Toll-free: 1.866.461.3222
(en francais 1.866.461.2232)
Toll-free fax: 1.866.814.2224
Web: www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency.html

The FCAC will determine whether there is a problem with our compliance, and if so, what corrective measure we need to take. The FCAC does not become involved in matters of redress.