Inside BMO’s Indigenous Bond: Investing in Communities with Purpose

Jonathan Hackett, Head of Sustainable Finance at BMO, explains how the bank’s Indigenous Bond channels capital to Indigenous-owned businesses, community infrastructure, and on-reserve lending while meeting institutional investor demand for measurable social impact. We dig into how these bonds differ from “plain vanilla” debt, why supply and long-term holding matter, and what retail investors can realistically do (think sustainable bond funds). Plus: a candid look at risk management, data, and why doing the homework often leads to lower loan losses and better long-term outcomes.