When customers and visitors step into the TD Buffalo Run branch, they enter a building featuring architecture that beautifully reflects Tsuut'ina Nation, its connection to the land, and the Nation’s respect for the environment. They see signage in Tsuut’ina and English, along with murals and paintings by artists from the Nation.
As for sounds heard in the branch, customers are often greeted by the welcoming voice of Jodie Terry, a TD colleague who has been at the Bank for 24 years and is just as excited as the customers to experience the Buffalo Run branch at Tsuut’ina Nation.
Opened in fall 2023 and located in the "Shops at Buffalo Run," the branch was developed, from the ground up, in collaboration with Tsuut'ina Nation and the Taza Development team in the spirit of reconciliation. The Taza Development in Tsuut'ina is one of the largest First Nation development projects in North America, spanning more than 1,200 acres. Buffalo Run is the first TD branch on First Nation land in Alberta.
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“Our being here has definitely made a difference in the community,” said Terry, the branch’s Manager of Customer Experience (MCE). Originally from Buffalo River Dene Nation on Treaty 10 land in northern Saskatchewan, Terry and her family moved to Saskatoon when she was a preteen, before moving to Calgary when she was in high school.
As MCE, Terry’s job includes training new talent and supporting customers. On a personal level, her goal is “to make a difference in someone's life – whether they are from an Indigenous community or not.”
"Even prior to TD, I was in retail. I just love the interactions with people,” Terry said. Having worked at various TD branches around the Calgary area since June 2000, Terry draws on a deep well of customer-first experience when helping customers and her team.
“When a customer leaves an appointment and says, ‘I had no idea it was even that simple,’ or, 'I actually understand it now, no one has ever explained it that way’ — that is what gives me excitement. I go home and think, ‘OK, I made a difference today!’” she said. “As a woman from an Indigenous community … I want to bring that experience to our community. I want to educate. I want to share my knowledge.”
Reflecting on a year of the Buffalo Run branch
From the moment Terry heard about the Buffalo Run branch, she jumped at the chance to work there. She reached out to branch leaders and introduced herself as a colleague from an Indigenous community who wanted to contribute.
"I said, ‘They're opening a branch on reserve land, and close to home? How do I get there? What do I need to do?’ I just never thought there would be an opportunity like that. On my days off, I'd drive out and check on the status of the building. I'm here now, but at the time, it felt so far away."
Now that the branch is a reality and celebrating its first anniversary this September, Terry is contributing by delivering positive customer experiences every day.
“We hear laughter all day when Jodie is interacting with customers, and it shows in our customer experience results,” said Jamie Albrecht, Branch Manager, referring to how TD measures customer satisfaction.
For her part, Terry said, “I consider myself extremely shy. But when I'm here, when I'm working, I'm a completely different person.” When she talks about building relationships in the community, she emphasizes the importance of being open to others’ perspectives.
Delivering ease, value, and trusted advice is an important part of Terry’s role, which she said, is about “being fully transparent and understanding that not every experience is the same. We need to fully listen to people and hear them out, to understand how we can help them and how we can make that difference. We personalize everything. No customer is ever going to be the same as the next. We need to treat each person as unique and take the time to understand their needs and what they're looking for."
Terry also noted that knowledge-sharing is a two-way street, and a valuable part of the meaningful relationships she and her team are building with customers.
“We had an elder in here recently talking to one of our colleagues, telling stories about the community and how she is working hard to get her grandchildren, and her kids, to learn Dene, the local language. It was just so beautiful.”
Sharing knowledge and building financial literacy in the community
Terry is using her time-tested listening and relationship-building skills to further integrate the Buffalo Run branch’s involvement in the community. With fellow colleagues, she is working toward introducing a financial literacy program with local youth. The plan is for young people to come to the branch for an hour a week to talk and learn about saving, investing and budgeting, buying their first car, managing their first credit card, and handling other money-related events.
Eventually Terry hopes the program will extend to other nearby First Nation communities.
“We want to be there for the community. How can we help them meet their savings goals and help them get to another stage in their life? That's where our involvement comes in,” she said.
“We are bringing our resources and the Bank to the community. Being here at Tsuut’ina Nation is also about helping to bring financial literacy and education to the community and doing our best to make a difference."