- Report highlights BMO's focus on advancing Indigenous education, employment, and economic empowerment
- New members of
Indigenous Advisory Council include leaders from acrossCanada
As well, BMO announced six new members of its
Joining the BMO IAC are:
Ovide Mercredi , former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations- Chief
Willie Sellars , children's author and Chief ofWilliams Lake First Nations Carol Anne Hilton , author and Founder & CEO of theIndigenomics Institute Tabatha Bull , CEO of theCanadian Council for Aboriginal Business - Nadir André, partner and national leader of the
Aboriginal Law Group atBorden, Ladner Gervais Denis Carignan , Co-Founder ofPLATO , one ofCanada's largest employers of Indigenous IT professionals
"We welcome the newest members of
"I believe that success for my community comes from focusing on the future, and as a member of BMO's Indigenous Advisory Council I apply that focus to advise the bank on policies and practices that support economic development and opportunity for Indigenous peoples," said Chief
"For more than thirty years, BMO's Indigenous Banking Unit (IBU) has partnered with Indigenous communities across
The report features the stories of BMO clients and employees who are thriving in their fields, including
Education, Employment and Economic Empowerment: Highlights from the Report
- Together with
First Nations University of Canada and Reconciliation Education, BMO provides an online introductory education course, Nisitohtamowin. Taken from the Cree word for "understanding," Nisitohtamowin provides an overview of 500 years of colonial history inCanada from the perspectives of Indigenous peoples. The course has been completed by more than 90 per cent of BMO employees to date and thousands of members of the public. - In support of education, BMO has contributed
$5.1 million to awards and scholarships, out of a total of$19 million in donations and pledges to Indigenous causes acrossCanada . - BMO has expanded its efforts to recruit and retain Indigenous employees by: increasing the number of remote roles available to Indigenous candidates; creating new internship opportunities for Indigenous candidates in Engineering and Planning and Technology and Operations through a partnership with
Amazon Web Services andPLATO ; and providing tailored support to Indigenous employees through the bank's Miikana Career Pathways program. - BMO provides banking services to 270 Indigenous communities nationwide. BMO has more than
$230 million in authorized loans for housing purposes in Indigenous communities, including its On-Reserve Home Loan Program. - In support of Indigenous businesses, BMO has increased the level of procurement of goods and services from Indigenous partners – surpassing in 2022 its commitment to spend
$10 million annually with Indigenous-owned businesses by 2023. - BMO's commitment to mobilize
$300 billion in sustainable financing by 2025 includes lending to Indigenous businesses and communities in the structuring of the bank's Sustainable Bond program. - For advancing Indigenous interests and economic development, BMO has received Gold Certification in the Progressive Aboriginal Relations (PAR) program seven consecutive times. The PAR program is administered by the
Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business .
Read the full report to learn more.
Click here to register for the free Nisitohtamowin eLearning course or visit: www.fnuniv.ca/reconciliation .
For more information about BMO's commitment to supporting Indigenous communities, click here or visit: www.bmo.com/indigenous-commitments
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