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Our Legacy of Support
Overview
At RBC, the Olympic Games represent excellence, teamwork, diversity and commitment-the same values we hold true for our employees, clients and communities. That connection is a major reason why RBC has been one of the longest-standing corporate supporters of the Canadian Olympic Team-and, in fact, of any national Olympic team in the world!
It all started in 1947 when Sidney Dawes, the founder of the Canadian Olympic Committee, phoned the President of the Royal Bank of Canada, Sydney Dobson, and asked for the bank's help in getting the Canadian Olympic team to the Winter Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Royal Bank said "yes," and from that day forward, RBC Financial Group has been a supporter of the Canadian Olympic Team and Canadian athletes.
In the 60 years since then, RBC has supported a wide range of programs with the goal of helping amateur athletes achieve their potential-whether that be on the Olympic stage, or at the grassroots level through initiatives that allow access to sport for kids.
| Year | Highlights |
|---|---|
| 1947 | RBC makes its first contribution to the Canadian Olympic Association. RBC paid to send the RCAF Flyers hockey team to the Olympic Winter Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland to represent Canada. |
| 1948 St. Moritz, Switzerland |
The RCAF Flyers, after the Royal Bank pays to send them to the Olympic Winter Games, reclaim Olympic ice hockey gold for Canada. Meanwhile, on a different ice surface, Barbara Anne Scott (figure skating) becomes the first Canadian women's gold medallist. |
Olympic Medals
Winter games
1948 St. Moritz, Switzerland
Summer Games
1948 London, England
| Year | Highlights |
|---|---|
| 1952 & 1956 | RBC continues its strong support of the Canadian team as nearly 300 athletes compete in four Olympic Games and bring home 14 medals. |
Olympic Medals
Winter Games
1952 Oslo Norway
1956 Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy
Summer Games
1952 Helsinki Finland
1956 Melbourne, Australia
| Year | Highlights |
|---|---|
| 1960 Squaw Valley, USA |
Anne Heggtveit becomes Canada's first Alpine Skiing gold medallist. |
| 1960 Rome, Italy |
The Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games are established by Dr. Ludwig Guttman. He'd been asked to create a rehabilitation program for injured World War II soldiers. In 1960, the Games were held in Rome and later became known as the first Paralympic Games. |
| 1964 Innsbruck, Austria |
The 4-man team of Peter Kirby, Doug Anakin, Vic Emery and John Emery become Canada's first bobsleigh gold medal winners. |
| 1964 Tokyo, Japan |
Harry Jerome wins the 100 metre bronze in the 1964 Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo. |
| 1967 | RBC is the first national sponsor of Special Olympics Canada when it is launched in 1968. |
| 1968 Grenoble, France |
Nancy Greene wins Canada's first Women's Alpine GS gold medal. |
| 1968 Tel Aviv, Israel |
For the first time, Canada is represented at the Paralympic Games. |
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Winter Games
1960 Squaw Valley, USA
1964 Innsbruck, Austria
1968 Grenoble, France
Summer Games
1960 Rome, Italy
1964 Tokyo, Japan
1968 Mexico City, Mexico
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Summer Games
1968 Tel Aviv, Israel
1964 Tokyo, Japan
1968 Mexico City, Mexico
| Year | Highlights |
|---|---|
| 1970 | RBC is one of the first sponsors of the Canada and Provincial Games, the Commonwealth Games and the Games for the Physically Disabled. |
| 1973 | RBC establishes the Royal Bank Junior Olympics. |
| 1974 | RBC sells Olympic coins to raise funds and prepare our athletes for the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. |
| 1975 | RBC sponsors Montreal's bid to host the Olympic Summer Games. RBC has sponsored every Canadian bid for the Games since. |
| 1975 | RBC donates $500,000 to the Olympic Trust of Canada after an Olympic lottery ticket is stolen from the Bank's vault. The stolen ticket turns out to be the winning ticket. |
| 1976 Ornskoldsvic, Sweden |
At these, the first Paralympic Winter Games, Team Canada wins its first medals-one gold and two bronze. |
| 1976 | RBC is the official sponsor of the Olympic Games in Montreal. |
| 1976 Montreal, Canada |
For the first time, the Olympic Games are played on Canadian soil. |
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Winter Games
1972 Munich, Germany
1976 Montreal, Canada
Summer Games
1972 Sapporo, Japan
1976 Innsbruck, Austria
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Winter Games
1976 Örnsköldsvik, Sweden
Summer
1972 Heidelberg, Germany
1976 Toronto, Canada
| Year | Highlights |
|---|---|
| 1980 Moscow, USSR |
Canada, along with 61 other countries, boycotts the Games. |
| 1980 Arnhem, Holland |
Canadian Team places fourth at the Paralympic Games. |
| 1983 | RBC becomes a founding member of the Olympic Academy of Canada. |
| 1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia |
Speed skater, 21-year old Gaetan Boucher, electrifies Canadians by winning two gold medals and 1 bronze. |
| 1984 Los Angeles, USA |
Swimmer, Victor Davis wins gold and sets a world record in the 200m breaststroke. He also wins silvers in the 100m breaststroke and the 4x100m medley. |
| 1986 | RBC is appointed the Official Bank of the 1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Games. |
| 1988 | RBC introduces an Olympic Coin Fundraiser Contest to assist amateur sports clubs and other non-profit organizations in Canada raise money for their programs. |
| 1988 | The first Winter Olympic Games on Canadian soil. |
| 1988 | RBC is named the Official Bank in Canada of the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. |
| 1988 Seoul, South Korea |
The Canadian Paralympic Team wins 153 gold medals-a Canadian record. At the Olympic Games, Lennox Lewis wins gold in super-heavyweight class in boxing. |
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Winter Games
1980 Lake Placid, USA
1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
1988 Calgary, Canada
Summer Games
1980 Moscow, USSR
*Did Not Compete*
1984 LA, USA
1988 Seoul, South Korea
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Winter Games
1980 Geilo, Norway
1984 Innsbruck, Austria
1988 Innsbruck, Austria
Summer Games
1980 Arnhem, Netherlands
1984 New York, USA/Stoke Mandeville, Great Britain
1988 Seoul, South Korea
| Year | Highlights |
|---|---|
| 1992 | RBC becomes a sponsor of Athletics Canada. |
| 1992 Barcelona, Spain |
Silken Laumann and the Canadian Rowing Team bring home four gold medals. |
| 1994 Lillehammer, Norway |
Jean-Luc Brassard wins Gold on the moguls. Sledge Hockey is introduced at the Paralympic Winter Games-Canada wins bronze. |
| 1995 | RBC becomes a premier sponsor of Hockey Canada and introduces "Toonies for Your Team" helping local sports teams raise funds for uniforms. RBC introduces the RBC Royal Bank Cup, Canada's national Junior A Hockey Championships, and sponsor of Canada's men's and women's Olympic teams. |
| 1996 Atlanta, USA |
Donovan Bailey wins two gold medals. His first comes with a world record in the 100m. His second comes as part of the gold-medal-winning Canadian men's 4x100m relay team. |
| 1998 Nagano, Japan |
Ross Rebagliati wins the first men's Olympic Snowboarding gold medal. Canadian Men's Sledge Hockey wins silver. |
| 1999 | RBC sponsors the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba. |
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Winter Games
1992 Albertville, France
1994 Lillehammer, Norway
1998 Nagano, Japan
Summer Games
1992 Barcelona, Spain
1996 Atlanta, USA
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Winter Games
1992 Tignes-Albertville, France
1994 Lillehammer, Norway
1998 Nagano, Japan
Summer Games
1992 Barcelona, Spain
1996 Atlanta, USA
| Year | Highlights |
|---|---|
| 2000 | RBC launches RBC Olympic FanFair, an interactive sports pavilion that travels to events and festivals across the country encouraging Canadians to participate in Olympic sports. It raises over $100,000 for amateur athletes. |
| 2000 | RBC offers a special COA VISA Affinity card that contributes funds to Canadian Amateur athletes. |
| 2000 | As part of its overall support of the Toronto 2008 Olympic bid, RBC becomes the first corporate supporter of the newly created Foundation for Athletes and Sport Training (FAST), which benefits amateur athletes from the novice to national levels. |
| 2000 Sydney, Australia |
Simon Whitfield wins Canada's first triathlon gold medal at the Olympic Games. RBC Olympian, Elizabeth Walker-Young, wins three golds and sets three world records in swimming at the Paralympic Games. |
| 2001 | RBC hires ten athletes through the Canadian Olympic Committee's Career's Opportunities Program. |
| 2002 | RBC becomes a sponsor of Vancouver's bid for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. |
| 2002 | RBC launches the RBC Olympians Program, providing flexible, career-oriented work experience that accommodates an athlete's training and competition schedule. Athletes also acquire much-needed funding to train and compete. |
| 2002 Salt Lake City, USA |
For the first time in Canadian Olympic history, both the men's and women's ice hockey teams win gold. Jamie Salé and David Pelletier win gold in Pairs Figure Skating. |
| 2003 | RBC launches the "RBC Local Hockey Leaders" program to recognize and celebrate those behind-the-scenes individuals who inspire others in community hockey. |
| 2003 | RBC becomes the presenting sponsor for the Canadian Olympic Committee's Olympic Education Program encouraging kids to explore Olympic Values including excellence, leadership, respect, and fun. |
| 2003 | RBC becomes an official sponsor of the Canadian Snowboard Team |
| 2004 Athens, Greece |
RBC Olympian Amy Alsop and her team defend gold in Paralympic goalball, while another RBC Olympian, Elizabeth Walker-Young, wins a silver and bronze in swimming at the Paralympic Games. RBC Olympian Ross MacDonald and Mike Wolfs win silver in Star Class sailing regatta. |
| 2004 | RBC becomes an official sponsor of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Team and introduces the "RBC Jumps and Bumps" grassroots program for young Freestyle Skiing athletes. |
| 2005 | RBC is named a Premier National Partner by the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler. |
| 2006 | RBC proudly sponsors the Canadian team in their bid for gold at the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy. |
| 2008 | RBC continues to support Canadian Olympians and Paralympians heading to the Olympic Games in Beijing, China. |
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Winter Games
2002 Salt Lake City, USA
2006 Torino, Italy
Summer Games
2000 Sydney, Australia
2004 Athens, Greece
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Winter Games
2002 Salt Lake City, USA
2006 Torino, Italy
Summer Games
2000 Sydney, Australia
2004 Athens, Greece
| Year | Highlights |
|---|---|
| 2010 | RBC was a Premier National Partner for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, and a Presenting Partner for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Torch Relays. |
| 2011 | RBC renewed its sponsorship commitment to Canada’s Olympic Team beyond, signing on as a Premier National Partner of the Canadian Olympic Committee through 2016. |
| 2012 | RBC supported Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic Athletes competing at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, England. |
