Protestors across Canada demonstrate against RBC's fossil-fuel funding
CTV
Demonstrators gathered in 40 locations across Canada on Saturday to voice their opposition to the Royal Bank of Canada's funding of fossil fuel projects. The protests, part of a nation-wide effort dubbed Fossil Fools Day, unfolded in cities including Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Halifax and Vancouver.
Demonstrators gathered in 40 locations across Canada on Saturday to voice their opposition to the Royal Bank of Canada's funding of fossil fuel projects.
The protests, part of a nation-wide effort dubbed Fossil Fools Day, unfolded in cities including Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Halifax and Vancouver.
One protestor said the demonstrations were intended to raise awareness of the bank's looming Annual General Meeting, scheduled to take place in Saskatoon on April 5.
Eve Saint, a Wet'suwet'en land defender and daughter of hereditary Chief Woos who spoke at the Toronto protest, said a Wet'suwet'en delegation is heading to the AGM intent on getting answers from RBC president and CEO Dave McKay. "We are going down a very scary path," Saint said in an interview following her remarks at Saturday's protest, citing extreme weather events such as flooding and fires as examples of the effects of the climate crisis.
"The time is now," she said.
The bank, for its part, has long stressed the importance of an orderly transition to net-zero financed emissions, previously announcing it hoped to reach that goal in 2050 and setting a smaller, interim target for 2030.
RBC spokesperson Jeff Lanthier said the company is focusing its attention on where it will have the biggest impact, which is helping clients reduce their emissions and supporting initiatives that bring green solutions to market.
