Nominations Now Open for Top 25 Canadian Immigrants of 2012

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Nov. 8, 2011) - Canadian Immigrant magazine and RBC today announced the open call for nominations for the "Top 25 Canadian Immigrants of 2012." The fourth annual awards program seeks to recognize and celebrate the stories and achievements of outstanding Canadian immigrants from coast to coast who inspire newcomers and Canadians alike.

"Who qualifies to be a Top 25 Canadian Immigrant? Any immigrant who has chosen this country as their own and made it a better place," said Margaret Jetelina, editor of Canadian Immigrant magazine. "More than success stories, the Top 25 winners over the last three years have been role models of great inspiration to others in this country. So, for our 2012 awards, we're asking again — who inspires you?"

This national people's choice award is unique in that it allows Canadians to vote directly for individuals from all walks of life who have made a difference since their arrival in Canada. More than 25,000 votes from across Canada were cast in the 2011 awards program.

"There continue to be countless stories about how new Canadians are making a difference in their newly adopted country and it's important that they are recognized," said Camon Mak, director, Multicultural Markets at RBC. "The stories of past winners are inspirational and I look forward to many more motivational stories from this year's list of nominees."

A nominee can be someone who has moved to Canada and, since immigrating, has contributed to the diversity and success of this country. Achievements can be either professional or personal. Nominees must hold landed immigrant (Permanent Resident) or citizen status in Canada.

Nominations can be made by visiting www.canadianimmigrant.ca/top25 until January 24, 2012. A distinguished panel of judges will review all nominees and present a list of finalists who will be profiled online in February, when all Canadians can vote for their favourite nominees.

The winners will be announced in May 2012 and will be recognized in Canadian Immigrant magazine. They will also receive a commemorative plaque and $500 towards a charity of their choice from RBC. This program is also proudly supported by the Toronto Star.

About Canadian Immigrant and www.canadianimmigrant.ca

Attracting more than 287,000 readers each month, Canadian Immigrant is distributed in Toronto and Vancouver and helps new Canadians build a successful life and home during their first years in Canada. Its mandate to inform, educate and motivate provides easy-to-access content for newcomers looking for information, from careers, education and settling in to culture, money and business. Our website, www.canadianimmigrant.ca, offers daily editorial, forums, tools, resources and more to help newcomers across Canada. Canadian Immigrant is a division of Star Media Group, which is broadly based with interests in print and digital media, led by its flagship property, the Toronto Star, Canada's largest newspaper, which is read in print and online by 3.0 million readers every week.

ABOUT RBC

Royal Bank of Canada (TSX:RY)(NYSE:RY) and its subsidiaries operate under the master brand name RBC. We are Canada's largest bank as measured by assets and market capitalization, and among the largest banks in the world, based on market capitalization. We are one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies, and provide personal and commercial banking, wealth management services, insurance, corporate and investment banking and transaction processing services on a global basis. We employ approximately 74,000 full- and part-time employees who serve close to 15 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 55 other countries. For more information, please visit rbc.com.