BMO Financial Group announced May 22 a donation of one million dollars to Youth Fusion for aboriginal programming. This donation is intended to maintain and enhance existing Youth Fusion projects in aboriginal communities in Quebec and to promote the expansion of these programs throughout Quebec and the rest of Canada, says BMO.

Youth Fusion projects in aboriginal communities include: weekly activities for over 5,000 Inuit and First Nations youths living in more than 20 communities in Nunavik and the James Bay area and support for young Indigenous students attending John Abbott College and Dawson College in Montreal.

Access to education

"As an active participant in Canadian communities, BMO believes in the promise of personal growth and success through lifelong learning and access to education. Education is at the heart of our philanthropy and we are extremely grateful for this valuable support, which will benefit aboriginal communities throughout Quebec and the rest of Canada," said Gabriel Bran-Lopez, president of Youth Fusion.

"Youth Fusion has implemented many innovative projects designed to engage, motivate and stimulate young people in our Indigenous communities, and to make them feel more committed to their communities," said Claude Gagnon, Managing Director, Operations, BMO Financial Group, Quebec. "We want to use this contribution to encourage young aboriginal people to stay in school. We want to give them tools to integrate into society, to become leaders in their communities and, in so doing, to contribute actively in their communities' development."