RBC counts down to Blue Water Day by giving $1.4 million
to Canadian environmental pioneers
Canadian Museum of Nature and Royal Canadian Geographical
Society to benefit
TORONTO, May 14, 2010— RBC today announced
that the Canadian Museum of Nature and the Royal Canadian
Geographical Society (RCGS) will share more than $1 million
in support from the RBC Blue Water Project, as a countdown
to the first-ever 'RBC Blue Water Day', to be held on June
11.
RBC is providing $1 million to support the National Water
project, which will include the new RBC Blue Water Gallery,
opening in the redesigned Canadian Museum of Nature in Ottawa
on May 22, 2010. The RBC Blue Water Gallery is an interactive
exhibit that will provide visitors with opportunities to learn,
observe and participate in activities designed around water.
The first of its kind in Canada, the RBC Blue Water Gallery
will explore the critical role of water as one of five permanent
galleries in the museum.
RBC is also donating $400,000 to the RCGS, publisher of one
of Canada's foremost environmental magazines: Canadian
Geographic. These funds will create "Watershed Protection
in Canada," a dynamic and interactive bilingual website
to encourage and facilitate personal and community-based involvement
in watershed stewardship. Using a variety of tools, guides
and online maps, Canadians will be able to access information
and learn about how they can become actively involved in watershed
protection. RBC will also be the key supporter of far north
expeditions focused on fresh water in the Arctic in 2010 and
2011.
"We are proud to support two environmental pioneers
that are doing critical work in educating Canadians about
how to protect our fresh water resources," said Gordon
M. Nixon, president and CEO, RBC. "Canada can be a global
leader in water stewardship, and RBC is pleased to be associated
with these initiatives."
"Environmental stewardship in one of the principal tenets
of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society," says RCGS
president Gisèle Jacob. "We understand the importance
of water in Canada, the need for watershed awareness, protection
and stewardship and are proud to partner with RBC, an organization
that understands the value of our water resources."
"Fostering a culture of water stewardship is vitally
important for the sustainability of our rich biodiversity,"
says president and CEO Joanne DiCosimo of the Canadian Museum
of Nature. "The objective of the Museum's multi-faceted
water project is to awaken a sense of awe for water. The RBC
Blue Water Gallery is a pinnacle element in this project and
we are proud to partner with RBC and the RBC Blue Water Project
to encourage Canadians to become better stewards of our most
precious resource."
These donations mark the one month countdown to June 11,
when RBC will host its first ever 'RBC Blue Water Day': a
series of events and activities in communities and RBC's 1,200
branches across Canada to celebrate the work of some of the
200 RBC Blue Water Project grant recipients to date and to
raise awareness about the value and vulnerability of our water
resources. Activities include educational water events, water
contests and trivia, in-branch displays and a webcast highlighting
the successes of two RBC Blue Water grant recipients. RBC
will also announce more than 20 Leadership Grant recipients
for 2010, selected from over 160 applicants.
These announcements are part of the RBC Blue Water Project,
an innovative, wide-ranging, global commitment to help protect
the world's most precious natural resource: fresh water. RBC
offers grants to not-for-profit organizations that protect
watersheds and provide or ensure access to clean drinking
water. Since 2007, RBC has committed more than $20 million
to over 200 organizations worldwide working in this area,
including $10 million to ONE DROP, founded by Cirque du Soleil's
Guy Laliberté.
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For more information, please contact:
Jackie Braden,
Sponsorship Communications, RBC, 416-974-1724, jackie.braden@rbc.com
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