About Edmonton Branch AB17

Edmonton Branch currently serves members in Northern Alberta, and Northwest Territories.  The Edmonton Branch includes members in the Grand Prairie region, and also now serves members formally served by the Lakeland Branch. If you live in the Lakeland region and require branch services, Contact the Edmonton branch by email at edmonton@federalretirees.ca, or telephone (780) 413-4687.

 Click here to view a map of Alberta, showing the extent of the area served by the Edmonton Branch, which now includes the Lakeland region.

 Click here to view a map of Northwest Territories showing the extent of the Edmonton Branch’s reach in that region.
 

Who are we?

  • As your local advocates, one of our goals is to provide you with timely information about your pensions, medical, dental and travel insurance.
  • Working in concert with the national office, we strive to provide local input into the issues being championed by the national office. As well, we advocate for seniors issues in Alberta. We are also contributing to community initiatives by volunteering our time and resources. 
  • We hold three general membership meetings per year, in May (Annual Membership Meeting), September, and December in an effort to foster a close relationship with those who matter most – our members. 
  • Become a member by visiting the link to the national office’s how to become a member page. Click here.
     

Edmonton Branch By-Law

The Edmonton Branch operates under a set of bylaws approved by the membership. Click here for a PDF copy of Edmonton Branch Bylaws.
 

Committees

Five active volunteer committees make up the work together to provide services to the membership. They are: Membership, Social, Communications, Telephone, and Member Services.

We always need volunteers to work on committees. If you are interested in joining one of the committees, please contact one of our board members, listed elsewhere on this web page. Please click here
 

Membership

This functions of this committee includes developing and maintaining branch and national office records of branch membership, including:

  • Registering members,
  • Recording transfers and deaths of members,
  • Recording payments received on branch records, including issuing appropriate receipts and membership cards.
  • Recording payments received on the national office web-based membership system (WMS).
  • Making deposits of payments received and providing records of deposits to the treasurer.
  • Sending notices to members, and where necessary reminders, of membership fees which are due.
  • Developing and maintain a level of knowledge amongst committee members that will allow them to respond appropriately to inquiries from branch members on matters related to membership.

This committee meets at the call of the chair or at the request of two or more members
 

Social

This committee is responsible for organizing all aspect of our general membership meetings, including the venue, the meal, the guest speaker(s) and anything that happens outside of the formal part of the meeting. It also ensures that an appropriate number of volunteers are available to carry out functions needed at each meeting, including:

  • Greeting members as they arrive, ensuring they are registered at the door, pay their meal fee, if appropriate, and receive a door prize ticket,
  • Greeting special guests and guest speakers, introducing them to the meeting chair, if appropriate, and directing or escorting them to their reserved seating,
  • Ensuring that any member who needs it, has assistance getting their buffet meal,
  • Selling 50 / 50 tickets and ensuring the draw is made,
  • Ensuring that the door prize draws are made,
  • Ensures that “thank you” presentations are made to guests/guest speakers, when appropriate.
  • This committee meets at the call of the chair or at the request of two or more members.
  • This committee is also responsible for arranging a “thank you” event for all volunteers.
     

Communications

This committee is responsible for developing and maintaining this website as well as implementing and maintaining an email system for communicating with branch members.

More specifically, this includes:

  • Developing a presence on the internet, including, but not limited to, a website and a Facebook page. This includes the layout and content as well as any rules and or policies that are deemed appropriate to govern the materials and information displayed as well as the use of any of the electronic media developed.
  • Developing and managing the use of an email system to allow the branch to communicate with those of its members who provide us with their email address.

This committee meets at the call of the chair or at the request of two or more board members.
 

Telephone

This function of this committee include maintaining a telephone and email contact list of members in the greater Edmonton area who have indicated that they would like to receive a phone call or email prior to our general membership meetings. (Selecting email as your method of contact is strongly recommended as this greatly reduces the time required to make contact.)

This includes:

  • Informing members by phone or email of upcoming events and general membership meetings,
  • Developing and maintaining a list of volunteer telephoners,
  • Maintaining a list of members who have requested a phone call or email reminder of general membership meetings.
  • Dividing the list into sub-lists for each volunteer telephoner.
  • Distributing the sub-lists to the telephoners with details of the specific information to be communicated on each call and including a deadline for reporting those who will attend.
  • Sending an email notice to all members who have asked to be notified by email.
  • Following up as needed to ensure we have an accurate count for meals to be ordered as well as members attending the business portion of the meeting only,
  • Relaying the attendance and meals required information to the Social Committee on a timely basis.
  • Providing updated information on address or other changes for member records to the Membership Committee.
  • This committee meets at the call of the chair or at the request of two or more members.
     

Member Services Committee

Your Member Services Committee member can assist you with inquiries about the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP), the Pensioners Dental Insurance Plan (PDSP), Medoc Travel Insurance and similar inquiries.

Topics can include Positive Enrollment in PSHCP, and for both PSHCP and PDSP questions regarding coverage, claims and appeals. It can also include enquiries about Medoc Travel Insurance.

We recommend that you first try to discuss your questions with Sun Life (1-888-757-7427) for both PSHCP and PDSP or the Johnson Insurance Edmonton office 780-413-6536 or 1-877-989-2600. If you would like our assistance, contact us at 780-413-4687 or 1  855  FSNA  EDM (1 855 376 2336).

This committee is responsible for:

  • Developing and maintaining a level of knowledge amongst committee members that will allow them to respond appropriately to inquiries from branch members on matters related to the Public Service Health Care Plan (PSHCP), the Pensioners Dental Care Plan (PDSP) and the Medoc Travel Insurance Plan.  Responses are to provide information, but not advice.
  • Individual members take one month turns being responsible for responding to inquiries received from branch members. The committee chair is responsible for preparing a schedule, however individual members are responsible for arranging coverage for any periods during their “shift”, when they will not be available.
  • The chair of the committee carries out the role, or designates a committee member to carry out the role of health benefits officer (HBO) , as described by the national Federal Retirees organization.
  • This committee meets at the call of the chair or at the request of two or more board members.