Royal Bank of Canada abruptly cancels in-person portion of AGM as Wet’suwet’en Chiefs travel to confront bank’s funding of Coastal GasLink pipeline

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Contacts: Jackie DaSilva, Sunrise Project, jackie.dasilva@sunriseproject.org, +1 647-300-0552

Jennifer Wickham, Gidimt’en Checkpoint Media Coordinator, yintahaccess@gmail.com, +1 250-917-8392

Traditional territories of the Ho-de-no-sau-nee-ga (Haudenosaunee), Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Mississauga, and Wendake-Nionwentsïo First Nations (so-called Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

In the face of growing opposition to the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)’s financing of fossil fuel projects including the Coastal GasLink fracked gas pipeline, Canada’s largest bank canceled the in-person portion of their annual shareholder meeting less than 24 hrs before it was scheduled. A delegation of Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chiefs announced they were attending the meeting on Wednesday and traveled from British Columbia to attend. The meeting was canceled shortly after, with RBC claiming a COVID outbreak amongst key personnel. Canada’s second largest bank, Scotiabank, held their shareholder meeting on Tuesday, despite their CEO contracting COVID and unable to participate.