RY Royal Bank of Canada

Canada United Weekend is part of a nationwide movement bringing together over 65 leading brands, the national Chamber of Commerce network and business associations to rally Canadians to buy, dine and shop local

REGINA, SK, Aug. 25, 2020 /CNW/ - COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on small and local businesses, and now more than ever, they need our help. From August 28 to 30, Canadians across the country are invited to come together to show their support for businesses in their community by shopping and dining local during Canada United Weekend.

Canadians will have access to special offers and promotions throughout the weekend from participating Canada United partners, such as:

• the chance to enter to win¹ one of 25 $10,000 prizes at gocanadaunited.ca/win just for shopping or dining at local eligible businesses;
• earning 25% more RBC Rewards points when shopping at Canadian brands across the country using an eligible RBC Rewards credit card² (limited time offer).

As a Canada United partner, Cadillac Fairview is also running a contest to help rally support for local businesses.

Local business owners are also encouraged to take part in Canada United Weekend to help support their business. By visiting gocanadaunited.ca/for-local-businesses, local business owners can download a marketing toolkit that makes it easy to participate and customize the initiative to their business, offers or activities. Local businesses can also let their customers know that by shopping or dining with them they could earn the chance to win as part of the Canada United Weekend Contest.

"Canada's small and local businesses have shown incredible resilience throughout the pandemic, even as they continue to face the devastating financial impact of COVID-19," said Neil McLaughlin, Group Head, Personal & Commercial Banking, Royal Bank of Canada. "Now, as these businesses continue to focus on safely re-opening, they need our support to recover. I encourage every Canadian and business to take part in Canada United Weekend and show local some love. Together, with the help of our incredible partners, we can make a difference for local businesses and help move Canada's recovery forward."

Canadians can also continue to show their support for small businesses online by watching Canada United videos at gocanadaunited.ca, liking posts from @GoCanadaUnited on social media and using #CanadaUnited on Twitter. For each action until August 31, 2020, RBC will contribute 5 cents up to a maximum contribution amount of $2 million to the Canada United Small Business Relief Fund. The Fund will provide small Canadian businesses with grants of up to $5,000 to cover expenses related to personal protective equipment (PPE), renovations to accommodate re-opening guidelines and developing or improving e-commerce capabilities. Applications for the Canada United Small Business Relief Fund will be accepted starting on August 31, 2020, at 1 p.m. (EST). Eligibility requirements can be found at gocanadaunited.ca/for-local-businesses.

Media are invited to visit participating small businesses during Canada United Weekend, including Italian Star Deli located at 1611 Victoria Ave, Regina, SK, to capture photos and videos.

Interview opportunities are also available with the following spokespeople:

• Mike Dobbins, Chief Strategy and Corporate Development Officer, RBC
• Andy Wolske, Vice President, Commercial Financial Services, Regina, RBC (Regina)
• Carlo Giambattista, Owner, Italian Star Deli (Regina)

About Canada United
Canada United is a national movement to rally support for local businesses and deliver grant relief to help small businesses as they re-open. It was created by RBC in partnership with more than 65 leading brands, the national Chamber of Commerce network and business associations across Canada. Visit gocanadaunited.ca to learn more.

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 84,000+ employees who 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 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 34 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/community-social-impact.

SOURCE RBC Royal Bank