Strength in prosperity
More than half of Canada’s aboriginal population lives in urban centres, and RBC supports a range of activities in partnership with the National Association of Friendship Centres – the hub of urban aboriginal communities. We sponsor efforts to expand economic opportunity through the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers and the Aboriginal Financial Officers’ Association.

In 2004, RBC presented the First Nations Business Forum and Trade Show in British Columbia.

RBC has sponsored the Canadian Executive Service Organization’s national MBA Experience Program since 1994, teaming graduate students with aboriginal leaders to work on six economic development projects in 2004 alone.

RBC strives to support aboriginal-led businesses, such as our sponsorship of the Venturing Forth TV program. In 2004, we became a founding member of the Canadian Aboriginal and Minority Supplier Council (see Employment, taxes and purchasing).

RBC enhanced our On Reserve Housing Loan Program this year, to help more families enjoy the long-term benefits of home ownership.

The power of education
More than half of the aboriginal population in Canada is under the age of 25, and RBC is committed to ensuring these youth have every chance to reach their fullest potential – and that means investing in education.

Since its inception in 1992, RBC’s Aboriginal Student Awards Program has provided 59 scholarships totalling $548,000. Five students were recipients in 2004, selected by an independent committee of academics from the aboriginal community.

RBC’s national Aboriginal Stay in School Program has provided “work and learn” opportunities for youth since 1994. In 2004, some of our extraordinary students included Quebec’s Skawenniio Barnes, the Mohawk teenager who became known for initiating a public campaign to collect 35,000 books for her Kahnawake community library.

For the past eight years, we’ve partnered with the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation to co-sponsor Blueprint for the Future, a national career fair for high school students.

Legacy of caring
“It’s not my job!” You won’t hear those words from the employee-driven groups across RBC that share a passion for causes outside their official job descriptions. Our aboriginal employees are a shining example. Their volunteer efforts raise the profile of aboriginal culture within RBC and connect us with the community. For instance, groups known as “Royal Eagles” in Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg, help bridge cultural barriers between employees and cultivate community activity.

In 2004, a Christmas gift box program in Ontario involved collecting gifts for the 900 children of Kashechewan, a Cree community on James Bay.

RBC also supports aboriginal causes at a corporate level. We funded a shipment of 50,000 books in a drive to fill empty shelves in libraries across 26 First Nation communities in Ontario, donated $35,000 to set up Breakfast for Learning programs across Canada, and supported the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation with a gift of $30,000.