RBC today announced the opening of its fourth green-powered branch in Edmonton.
The new location at Ellerslie Crossing is the third branch to open in less than two months and is part of a broader expansion plan for RBC which will see more than 20 branches open in Alberta by 2010 - almost half of which will be in Edmonton.
"At RBC, our aim is to open new branches in growing neighbourhoods where our customers live and work, in order to provide exceptional service, accessibility and convenience," said John Lever, regional vice-president, RBC. "Since this summer we've opened four new branches to better meet the demands of fast-growing communities."
On Oct. 29, RBC opened two new full-service branches - Rutherford Professional Centre and Whitemud and 17th. This latest location at the corner of Ellerslie and Parsons, is open six days a week, and late on Wednesdays and Thursdays. It offers two Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and a drive-through ATM, as well as access to personal and business banking teams, including financial planners, mortgage specialists and investment and retirement planners, who are available to meet with clients at their convenience outside branch hours.
All of RBC's new branches in Edmonton are powered by clean, renewable energy, supplied by Bullfrog Power. Founded in 2005, Bullfrog Power provides homes and businesses in Alberta and Ontario with an easy way to go green and help create a cleaner, healthier environment for future generations. In Alberta, Bullfrog Power sources power exclusively from local wind power generators.
To mark these openings RBC has made a $120,000 donation to Evergreen a national non-profit with a mandate to make cities more liveable by bringing communities and nature together for the benefit of both. Evergreen will use these funds to preserve, restore and enhance green spaces around the city.
The opening of this branch is part of a larger growth strategy for RBC. Nationally, expansion plans include opening 40 new branches in Canada in 2008. In Alberta alone, RBC is planning to open at least 20 branches in high-growth centres over the next several years. RBC also has plans to add more ATMs to its existing network in both branches and off-site locations. Between new branch openings and upgrading its existing network, RBC estimates an additional investment of more than $70 million in the province by the year 2010. RBC has the largest branch network of all the banks in Canada, with more than 1,146 branches. About 525 of these existing branches will be renovated over the next three years.