TD Bank of Canada donates $500,000 to University of Saskatchewan's Indigenous Land Management Institute

TD Bank of Canada is investing in the future of the Indigenous Land Management Institute (IMLI)with a $500,000 gift to University of Saskatchewan (U of S) in support of education, scholarships and research in the area of indigenous economic development.

By Jennifer Thoma
This gift will support the work of the ILMI with half of the funding going directly toward internships that support student work and research in Saskatchewan.

"Today's donation continues to support the research being done at the ILMI and ensures our centre remains a leader in indigenous land and resource management, both nationally and internationally," said David Natcher, director of the ILMI. "We're grateful to TD for this generous gift and excited by the opportunities it will offer our students and our institute."

Through the institute's work, researchers directly engage with Aboriginal leaders across the province and country to identify and develop opportunities related to Aboriginal agriculture and resource management. Its core mission is to work with indigenous peoples to realize a more prosperous future through optimal land and resource management.

"Like TD, the University of Saskatchewan shares a commitment to Aboriginal engagement. The Indigenous Land Management Institute is an international leader in the area of Indigenous economic development and land and resource management and we hope this gift will help the institute continue its ground breaking research," said Clint Davis, Vice President, Aboriginal Banking, TD Bank Group. "We also know some students have limited financial resources and providing bursaries is critical for attracting and retaining bright minds so they can focus on the task at hand."

"The work taking place within this institute advances our reputation in at least three of our signature areas: food security, energy and mineral resources, and of course, Aboriginal engagement and scholarship," said Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Gordon Barnhart. "TD's support will help strengthen our reputation in these areas even more."

Since opening in 2008, the institute's researchers have worked on projects that examine food security, investigate sustained economic growth for Saskatchewan First Nations and work to create more meaningful and informed Aboriginal engagement with large-scale development in Northern Saskatchewan.

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For more information, contact:

Jennifer Thoma

Media Relations

University of Saskatchewan

306-966-1851

jennifer.thoma@usask.ca

Lynzey MacRae

TD Bank Group

403-294-3328

lynzey.macrae@td.com