TORONTO, June 7, 2021 /CNW/ - CIBC announced today it is
donating $50,000 to the Indian Residential School
Survivors Society (IRSSS), in memory of the 215 children found
buried on the grounds of a former residential school in
Kamloops, British Columbia. This
donation is in addition to the annual $1.8
million the bank contributes to Indigenous communities
nationally.
"The enormous loss shared by Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation
has prompted profound feelings of sadness and anger across the
country," said Paulo Brazinha,
Senior Vice President and Region Head, British Columbia, Personal and Business
Banking, CIBC. "Reconciliation requires us to confront our shared
history, accept the truth about the systemic racism Indigenous
peoples experience today, support survivors and honour the memories
of those whose lives were lost".
The IRSSS is based in British
Columbia and provides essential services to residential
school survivors and their families, through legal and social
assistance as well as community education resources. Organizations
like the IRSSS work to provide culturally sensitive, emotional,
mental, physical, and spiritual care for all those affected by
personal and intergenerational trauma related to the residential
school system in Canada.
Last week CIBC lowered its flags for nine days – or 215 hours –
one hour for each of the children found buried on the grounds of
the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.
About CIBC
CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with 10
million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional
clients. Across Personal and Business Banking, Commercial Banking
and Wealth Management, and Capital Markets businesses, CIBC offers
a full range of advice, solutions and services through its leading
digital banking network, and locations across Canada with
offices in the United States and around the world.
Ongoing news releases and more information about CIBC can
be found at www.cibc.com/en/about-cibc/media-centre.html.
SOURCE CIBC