MONTREAL, May 20, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) today announced a $100 million CAD commitment over the next ten years to support the prevention of homelessness through its new signature giving initiative, CN Railroaders for Change. The initiative will support non-profit organizations focused on early intervention and sustainable solutions that help prevent homelessness and strengthen communities.

At CN, safety is a core value, and that commitment extends beyond the railway into the communities where CN railroaders live and work. Through Railroaders for Change, CN will focus its support on breaking down stigma and changing perceptions, rebuilding connections by partnering with community organizations, and funding solutions-based research to help prevent homelessness.

Watch the Railroaders for Change campaign video here

“CN railroaders have always stepped up to support the communities where we live and work. Railroaders for Change reflects that spirit of service and action. Across our network, our employees are helping drive meaningful change by volunteering and supporting organizations that are working every day to prevent homelessness, creating stronger communities where everyone has a safe place to call home.”

• Tracy Robinson, President and Chief Executive Officer, CN
  
  

“Homelessness is a growing challenge that requires sustained action and collaboration. Through this initiative, we are raising awareness to help remove the stigma around the issue and build long-term partnerships with organizations focused on delivering measurable impact in communities where we operate. Together, we can help create safer communities by supporting pathways to stable housing and essential services.”

• Olivier Chouc, Senior Vice-President and Chief Legal Officer, CN
  
  

Over the last few years, CN has taken meaningful action to focus its partnerships to address the challenge of homelessness that has been on the rise in communities across North America.

Last fall, CN partnered with the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness (CAEH) and committed $1 million over two years to support data-driven research on the issue.

“With CN’s support, we’ll be able to help more communities reverse the lethal trajectory of homelessness in Canada. In much the same way CN uses data to coordinate the movement of goods across its network, the Alliance helps communities use timely data to coordinate local homelessness responses, connect people to housing and support services, and most importantly, prevent and reduce homelessness.”

• Tim Richter, President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness
  
  

More recently, CN announced inaugural gifts for local organizations near both its Homewood, Illinois and Winnipeg, Manitoba training facilities, to support access to services and help prevent homelessness in those communities.

Preventing Homelessness in Montreal
As part of its announcement, hosted at the Old Brewery Mission, CN unveiled inaugural gifts totaling $1 million to four non-profit organizations in the Montreal area. The funding will support programs serving individuals and families, as well as addressing specific needs of youth, women, First Nations and Métis who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The following organizations will each receive $250,000:

• Chaînon Women’s Shelter
• Dans la rue
• Mission Old Brewery
• Projets Autochtone du Québec (PAQ)
  
  

The inaugural gifts will help these organizations expand programs and services that provide immediate relief while supporting long-term stability. Funding will help individuals remain safely housed, access critical resources and support services, and maintain important cultural connections. The investments will also help reduce reliance on overcrowded emergency shelters.

“Having dreams, a life plan, and the ambition to achieve it goes hand in hand with conditions that provide security and foster empowerment and self-determination. Preventing homelessness among young women aged 18 to 30 who are experiencing social rupture depends first and foremost on residential stability and support. Thanks to the support CN provides to Chaînon, we are today weaving an additional strand into the collective social safety net in support of young women and their future.”  

• Sonia Côté, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chaînon 
  
  

“CN plays a key role in efforts to tackle youth homelessness, in particular through support for Emmett Johns School at Dans la rue. By promoting education as a means of prevention, this partnership has a direct and tangible impact on the lives of highly vulnerable young people. It provides a safe, caring environment where they can continue their education, rebuild their confidence and look to the future with greater stability.” 

• Cécile Arbaud, Executive Director, Dans la rue  
  
  

"Thanks to CN’s decisive support, we can intervene earlier, faster, and more effectively to prevent women and men from falling into the cycle of homelessness. The Porte-clés program, the result of a collaboration between OMHM and the Old Brewery Mission to help people in social housing remain in their homes, demonstrates every day that with the right partners, prevention works and changes life trajectories. This donation allows us to expand our reach and offer concrete, humane, and sustainable solutions to those who are one step away from the street." 

• James Hughes, President and Chief Executive Officer, Old Brewery Mission 
  
  

“At PAQ, we are pleased to be able to count on CN, a key partner whose commitment is reflected both in significant financial support and in active volunteer involvement across several of our governance bodies. At a time when our services are under heavy demand, this donation will allow us to strengthen our actions and better support the Indigenous people we serve.” 

• Stacy Boucher-Anthony, Executive Director, Projets Autochtones du Québec
  
  

Through Railroaders for Change, CN aims to further support organizations and projects delivering measurable impact and long-term solutions in the communities where CN railroaders live and work. Organizations whose mission is to support prevention or pathways out of homelessness are encouraged to apply during the next funding cycle beginning July 1, 2026.

Railroaders for Change is a further deepening of CN’s ongoing commitment to building safer, stronger communities across its North American network.

About CN
CN powers the economy by safely transporting more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year for its customers. With its nearly 20,000-mile rail network and related transportation services, CN connects Canada’s Eastern and Western coasts with the U.S. Midwest and the U.S. Gulf Coast, contributing to sustainable trade and the prosperity of the communities in which it operates since 1919.

About Chaînon
Founded in 1932, Chaînon is one of Quebec’s largest resources for women experiencing vulnerability and homelessness.  With four buildings, the organization welcomes and supports more than 2,350 women each year on their path toward housing stability. It provides emergency and transitional shelter, housing, and a range of support and psychosocial intervention services tailored to their needs. As an unconditional, non-judgmental place of refuge for women in difficulty, Chaînon mobilizes social, public, and corporate stakeholders to end homelessness and violence against women. Its mission is carried out through public funding, philanthropic support from its foundation, and revenue generated by its two mission-driven thrift stores and donation center. For more information, visit: www.lechainon.org  

About Dans la Rue
Founded in 1988 by Father Emmett Johns (“Pops”, 1928–2018), Dans la rue plays a leading role in preventing youth homelessness by helping at-risk youth. With dedication, empathy and respect, and with the support of the community, Dans la rue cares for their immediate needs and helps them acquire the skills and resources needed to lead more autonomous and rewarding lives. For more information, visit: www.danslarue.org/en/

About Mission Old Brewery
Founded in 1889, the Old Brewery Mission is dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness through a three-pronged approach: prevention, emergency services and rehousing. It supports people experiencing or at risk of homelessness on their journey to lasting reaffiliation and housing stability. With its programs tailored to specific client groups, increased emphasis on psychosocial support, in-house research department, and a large and steadily growing housing portfolio, the Old Brewery Mission is the largest resource in Quebec for men experiencing homelessness and the largest in Canada for women. For more information, visit www.missionoldbrewery.ca.

About Projets Autochtones du Québec (PAQ)
Projets Autochtones du Québec is an Indigenous organization founded in 2004 that provides culturally safe housing, accommodation, and support services to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness in Tiohtià:ke / Montreal. Rooted in Indigenous values and realities, PAQ supports community members on their path toward stability, healing, dignity, and well-being. For more information, visit: www.paqc.org.