Belated happy anniversary
How time flies!
TD Bank considers your US credit history (if you print it out and submit it) if you don't have a Canadian credit history. Did your husband have a US-based card? If so, perhaps they will accept a letter from his credit card issuer. You probably don't want to cancel your card and start over (since how long you've had a card matters so be careful with planning to cancel his too) but otherwise you may be able to get a TD (or other bank that considers US history) credit card for yourself to both speed up your own credit history and reduce RBC's $1000 (or use some/all of the funds for your husband).
Another approach would be to look for new immigrant programs for your husband. Some banks (e.g., Scotiabank) have/had programs for new immigrants that allow them to open accouts and credit cards with benefits (e.g., no fees for first year). http://www.scotiabank.com/cda/content/0,1608,CID12961_LIDen,00.html#moneybackVISA