BMO Becomes Official Gold Sponsor of the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025

• The first-ever Winter hybrid Invictus Games will be held in Whistler and Vancouver, February 8-16, 2025

TORONTO, March 15, 2024 /CNW/ - BMO today announced it will be an Official Gold Sponsor of the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, presented by ATCO and Boeing, reinforcing its commitment to military service members and Veterans as the Official Bank of the Canadian Defence Community.

The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 will see up to 550 competitors from as many as 25 nations showcase their skills in a range of adaptive sports, including the first-ever Winter hybrid adaptive sporting program at an Invictus Games. Newly added Winter hybrid adaptive sports include Alpine Skiing, Alpine Snowboarding, Biathlon, Nordic Skiing, Skeleton, and Wheelchair Curling. These Games will be supported by leading organizations from across Canada, as well as approximately 1,600 volunteers from across the world.

"As the Official Bank of the Canadian Defence Community, BMO is committed to supporting service members, Veterans and their families well beyond their financial well-being," said Gayle Ramsay, Head of Everyday Banking & Customer Acquisition, Digital & Canadian Products, BMO. "BMO is proud to celebrate all the competitors who have overcome incredible adversity to compete and to be a part of their recovery journey through sport. Our partnership with the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 embodies our Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, driving progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society."  

"We are thrilled to have BMO join us as a sponsor for the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025," said Scott Moore, CEO, the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025. "Their longstanding commitment to the Canadian Defence Community has helped service members and Veterans across all facets of their lives. BMO really listens to help with some of the unique financial challenges service members and Veterans face, and we are proud to have them partner with us as a catalyst for positive change, supporting shared healing and rehabilitation."

Over the last decade, BMO has contributed more than $5 million to support Veterans' workforce transition and recovery and rehabilitation programs, partnering with Last Post Fund, Veteran's House Canada and Wounded Warriors Canada, among others.

As the Official Bank of the Canadian Defence Community, BMO is proud to support the military community. Additional BMO initiatives include: 

• In 2023, expanding BMO employee benefits for Canadian Military Reservists and their families.
• Partnering with the Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services (CFMWS) to offer banking solutions for the Canadian Defence Community.
• Providing special discounts and banking benefits for Canadian Personal & Business Banking clients, helping BMO customers save more than $20.7 million in monthly plan fees in 2023.
• Sponsor of the Canada Army Run since 2008, RCAF Run and Navy Bike Ride, with BMO employees volunteering in support.
• Serving over 105,000 members of the Canadian Defence Community as of January 2024, meeting the bank's target of doubling this customer segment two years early.
• Approximately 90 Canadian Defence Community Branches dedicated to serving approximately 33 military bases, wings, and units across Canada.
• With the BMO Support Our Troops Mastercard, a portion of each transaction made goes to the official charitable cause of the Canadian Armed Forces, Support Our Troops.  This card also supports Soldier On, which enables serving members and Veterans to recover from physical and mental illnesses/injuries through active living, the arts, and other peer-based recreational activities. BMO Support Our Troops Mastercard recently hit $1 million in contributions to CFMWS.
• Veterans Advisory Council employee resource group supporting colleagues who are reservists, Veterans, or military spouses.
• Military-ready hiring page at https://jobs.bmo.com/ca/en/military/.

The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 will be held on the traditional territories of the Lil̓wat7úl (Líl̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, and is committed to engaging with each Nation, addressing Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, and respecting Indigenous protocols in all aspects of the Games. The organizing committee is further committed to ensuring that the four Host First Nations languages, traditions, protocols and cultures are meaningfully acknowledged, respected and represented in the planning, staging and hosting of the Games. Moreover, the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 has representation from a number of the four Host First Nations on its Board of Directors, who provide expertise, collaboration, and oversight.

For more information on how BMO is supporting the Canadian Defence Community please visit bmo.com/cdcb and bmo.com/cdcbbusiness.

BMO Gives. Good grows here.

Helping communities thrive by supporting the organizations that sustain them and encouraging employee giving and volunteerism is at the heart of BMO's Purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life. In 2023, our social impact included more than $84 million donated to hundreds of charities and non-profit organizations across North America to help drive progress by enabling individuals to thrive and communities to prosper. Our colleagues spent almost 62,000 hours volunteering in the community and contributed more than $31.2 million of donations through our annual employee giving program. For more information, please visit BMO.com.

About BMO Financial Group

BMO Financial Group is the eighth largest bank in North America by assets, with total assets of $1.3 trillion as of January 31, 2024. Serving customers for 200 years and counting, BMO is a diverse team of highly engaged employees providing a broad range of personal and commercial banking, wealth management, global markets and investment banking products and services to 13 million customers across Canada, the United States, and in select markets globally. Driven by a single purpose, to Boldly Grow the Good in business and life, BMO is committed to driving positive change in the world, and making progress for a thriving economy, sustainable future, and inclusive society.

About Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025

The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, presented by ATCO and Boeing, is an international adaptive sporting competition for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and Veterans. Taking place from February 8th – 16th 2025, the seventh Invictus Games will bring together up to 550 competitors from up to 25 nations to British Columbia, Canada. Through the power of sport, the Games will inspire recovery, support rehabilitation, and generate a wider understanding and respect for those who have served their country.   

For the first time in Invictus Games history, The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 will see competitors given the opportunity to participate in both winter and indoor adaptive sports. The 2025 Games will feature new winter sports including: alpine skiing, biathlon, Nordic skiing, skeleton, snowboarding, and wheelchair curling, in addition to the core sports of indoor rowing, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby.   

The Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 will be held on the traditional territories of the Lil̓wat7úl (Líl̓wat), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil Waututh) Nations. The organizing committee is committed to collaborating with the four Host First Nations, addressing Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, and respecting Indigenous protocols in all aspects of the Games.   

True Patriot Love Foundation, the Government of Canada, and the Province of British Columbia are the Founding Partners of the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025. For more information, visit invictusgames2025.ca 

SOURCE BMO Financial Group

Media Contacts: BMO: Kate Simandl, [e-mail], [phone]; Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025: Jenny Duncan, [e-mail], [phone]