New funding aims to help enhance accessibility and improve energy efficiency and climate-resilience in communities across Canada
- RBC Foundation provides $12.5 million to 41 organizations across Canada through the 2026 Community Spaces Grant.
- Grants support high-impact capital projects and improvements to community buildings and spaces that improve environmental sustainability and enhance accessibility.
- Since launching in April 2024, the program has committed $37.4 million to 120 projects from coast to coast.
TORONTO, May 26, 2026 /CNW/ - Today, RBC Foundation announced 41 recipients of the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant for 2026, totaling $12.5 million in multi and single year grants. The Community Spaces Grant supports capital projects aimed at reducing emissions and environmental impact and enhancing accessibility in public spaces across Canada.
"With 27 per cent of Canadians living with a disability1 and buildings accounting for 18 per cent of national greenhouse gas emissions, 2 we have a clear opportunity to modernize and improve the spaces that communities rely on every day," said Andrea Barrack, Senior Vice President, Sustainability & Impact, RBC. "Through the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant, we're proud to support projects that are reflective of the needs of the communities they serve – by upgrading signage so people can navigate with ease, widening doors to welcome everyone and installing solar panels to support healthier environments."
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1 Accessibility and Persons with disabilities - Canada at a Glance, 2023 |
Helping strengthen communities through the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant
To date, the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant (formerly known as the Community Infrastructure Fund) has committed a total of $37.4 million in single and multi-year pledges for 120 projects across Canada. The fund has provided support for retrofits, repairs or upgrades to existing public community buildings, as well as construction of new public spaces. The fund focuses on two key objectives:
- Helping improve environmental sustainability: Funding high-impact capital projects and improvements to community buildings that use engineered and nature-based solutions to help improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions and build climate-resilience.
- Helping improve accessibility: Funding high-impact capital projects and improvements to community buildings that help enhance accessibility.
2026 Community Spaces Grant Recipients
Since its launch in April 2024, the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant has supported a broad range of community organizations across Canada.
The 2026 recipients who are working towards creating more accessible and/or environmentally sustainable spaces include:
Accessibility Grants: |
|
Alberta |
|
Battle River Lending Place Society |
Camrose, Alberta |
Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation |
Edmonton, Alberta |
Maskwa Medical Center |
Grande Prairie, Alberta |
British Columbia |
|
Rick Hansen Foundation Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation |
Richmond, British Columbia New Westminster, British Columbia |
St. Paul's Foundation of Vancouver British Columbia Centre for Ability Foundation Pacific Autism Family Centre Foundation Pacific Community Resources Society |
Vancouver, British Columbia Burnaby, British Columbia Richmond, British Columbia Surrey, British Columbia |
Maritimes |
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Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts New Dawn Community Development Educational Foundation Inc. Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation Inc. Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre Foundation |
Halifax, Nova Scotia Glace Bay, Nova Scotia Charlottetown, PEI Halifax, Nova Scotia |
Ontario |
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North Bay Regional Health Centre Foundation Somerset West Community Health Centre The Royal Ontario Museum Foundation Thunder Bay Art Gallery |
North Bay, Ontario Ottawa, Ontario Toronto, Ontario Thunder Bay, Ontario |
Timmins And District Hospital Foundation La Fondation De L'Hopital De Timmins Et Du District |
Timmins, Ontario |
YMCA Oakville |
Oakville, Ontario |
YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka |
Barrie, Ontario |
Quebec |
|
La Fondation Du Refuge Pour Femmes Chez Doris Inc.- Chez Doris The Women's Shelter Found Inc. |
Montreal, Quebec |
Saskatchewan |
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Remai Modern Foundation Inc. |
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
Environmental Sustainability Grants: |
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Alberta |
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Cornerstone Youth Centre Society |
Calgary, Alberta |
Red Deer Food Bank Society |
Red Deer, Alberta |
British Columbia |
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The Children's Family House Society of BC Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation |
Vancouver, British Columbia Klemtu, British Columbia |
Manitoba Southern Chiefs' Organization Reconciliation Foundation Inc |
Winnipeg, Manitoba |
Maritimes |
|
Maggie's Place - A Resource Centre for Families Association |
Truro, Nova Scotia |
Trans Canada Trail Foundation - Sentier Transcanadien Fondation |
Fredericton, New Brunswick |
Ontario |
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Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto Foundation McMichael Canadian Art Foundation Mon Sheong Foundation Ross Memorial Hospital Foundation Shaw Festival Theatre, Canada Southwest Middlesex Health Centre The Halton Region Conservation Foundation Trillium Health Partners Foundation |
Scarborough, Ontario Kleinberg, Ontario Scarborough, Ontario Lindsay, Ontario Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario Mount Brydges, Ontario Milton, Ontario Mississauga, Ontario |
Quebec |
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Centre culturel afro-canadien de Montréal (CCAM) Centre De Repit Philou Service d'Aide et de liaison pour immigrants La Maisonnée Wolf Lake First Nation |
Montreal, Quebec Montreal, Quebec Montreal, Quebec Temiscaming, Quebec |
The RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant builds on RBC, RBC Foundation and RBC Foundation USA's overall commitment to providing $2 billion in community investment by 2035. As one of Canada's largest corporate donors, RBC is working with thousands of charities and nonprofits across Canada and beyond to help strengthen communities. For more information, visit rbc.com/communityspacesgrant.
Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws and may include, but are not limited to, statements in connection with Royal Bank of Canada's (RBC), RBC Foundation's and RBC Foundation USA's (collectively, we, us or our) commitment of C$2 billion in community investments by 2035 and related objectives, priorities, solutions and ideas. By their very nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties which give rise to the possibility that our predictions, expectations or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that our assumptions may not be correct, and that our C$2B community investment commitment and the related objectives or priorities will not be achieved. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements as a number of risk factors, including those discussed in the risk sections of our 2025 Annual Report and the Risk management section of our Q1 2026 Report to Shareholders, could cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements. Material economic assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are set out in the Economic, market and regulatory review and outlook section and for each business segment under the Strategic priorities and Outlook headings in our 2025 Annual Report, as updated by the Economic, market and regulatory review and outlook section of our Q1 2026 Report to Shareholders. Such sections may be updated by subsequent quarterly reports. Except as required by law, we do not undertake to update any forward-looking statement.
About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 101,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada's biggest bank and one of the largest in the world, based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our more than 19 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 27 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.
We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/peopleandplanet.
About the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant
Funding through the RBC Foundation Community Spaces Grant is available to hospitals, cultural institutions, community centres and other registered charities in Canada. For more information and application guidelines, visit rbc.com/communityspacesgrant.
About RBC Foundation
RBC Foundation is a Canadian Registered Charity and Private Foundation. Solely funded by RBC and its subsidiaries, RBC Foundation provides donations exclusively from RBC and its subsidiaries' annual earnings, not from third-party or client donations.
For further information, please contact:
Ema Asler, RBC Communications
SOURCE RBC
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