Banks expanding further into Indigenous financing as project push accelerates

By Ian Bickis As Indigenous ownership in major projects is increasingly framed as a way to help ensure they go ahead, banks are working to expand their offerings to help make such equity deals happen. RBC is the latest to expand its capacity, announcing Thursday that it is launching an advisory service to help Indigenous groups buy into major projects. The practice adds to efforts like BMO’s launch of the first labelled Indigenous bond last October, and Scotiabank’s backing of investment dealer Cedar Leaf Capital Inc. to open more doors to financial services for Indigenous groups. “The banks recognize that this is a growth area,” Mark Podlasly, chief executive of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, said at a conference in Toronto on Thursday. Indigenous people in Canada already have…

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