Dozens of protesters gathered to mark Fossil Fool’s Day outside the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) branch on Barrie’s Bayfield Street North on Saturday.
Held across Canada, similar protests noted RBC’s fuelling of oil and gas projects, and climate change.
“We're in a climate crisis, the world is heating up, Canadian forests are on fire and what are they (RBC) doing,” said Pat Smith of Barrie, with Seniors for Climate Action Now (SCAN), and also an RBC customer.
“RBC is funding fossil fuel projects all around the world,” she said. “It is time to divest from fossil fuel projects for the sake of all the grandchildren.”
Smith said the protests are an attempt to influence those attending RBC’s 2024 annual meeting of the common shareholders, to be held next Thursday, April 11, in Toronto.
“The other Canadian banks are in it too, but they (RBC) are the worst and that is why we are here,” she said. “We are trying to influence the shareholders at their meeting.”
BarrieToday asked RBC to comment on the protests.
“We respect the rights of all individuals to make their voices heard on important topics and to do so in a peaceful manner,” said Jeff Lanthier, RBC’s director of media relations and social insights, corporate communications.
RBC also sent a statement on Sunday.
"We recognize the imperative for climate action and embrace our role as a bank that will support our clients and communities in accelerating the transition to a greener economy. Supporting our clients on their decarbonization journey is where we believe we can have the biggest impact in the climate transition."
