Round-Up: Canadian Olympic Foundation, Ryerson University, Toronto Libraries

I am very passionate about supporting Toronto through organizations and nonprofits that do incredible work in the city. Here are some recent examples of their projects and initiatives.

Canadian Olympic Foundation 

The 2021 recipients of the Toller Cranston Awards were announced by the Canadian Olympic Foundation (COF) on October 7. 

On October 7, the Canadian Olympic Foundation (COF) announced the recipients of the Toller Cranston Awards. The Awards are named after the famed Canadian figure skater, who won the 1976 Bronze medal and is remembered for his passionate displays on the ice, artistic innovation, and risk-taking accomplishments

The COF partners with Skate Canada to find the next generation of skaters that display the best of Toller’s traits: courage, creativity, and expression.

His legacy lives on in the Toller Cranston Memorial Fund, which is funded entirely through donor generosity. You can see the 2021 winners here.

Ryerson University’s Technology Innovation Circle

In a competition on October 14, 2020, three finalists virtually pitched their research projects to the Ryerson Innovation Circle for a chance to win the Discovery Prize, which comes with $70,000 in funding support. 

These finalists represent some of the best and brightest in Canada, and I was honoured to be a part of the Ryerson Innovation Circle and help select the finalists and ultimately the winner of this prestigious award. 

The winner for the Ryerson Innovation Circle Discovery Prize was “From Vulnerability to Possibility: Investing in Mothers to End Intergenerational Cycles of Addiction & Trauma,” a research project led by Professor Karen Milligan and psychology graduate students Erica Rodrigues and Victoria Ingram.  

Thank you to fellow members of the Innovation Circle, which include Isaac Olowolafe, Gurbani Marwah, Josh Reisman, Eddie Chan, Ronnen Harary, and Karlee Vukets.

Toronto Public Library 

The Toronto Public Library System is one of the world’s busiest with 68% of Toronto residents using the Library and over 1 million people holding registered library cards. In 2020, the Toronto Library System had 5.5 million visits to their 100 branches, and its massive collection now includes more than 10.5 million items, including CDs, DVDs, and eBooks, with 40 languages represented in the library system’s materials 

The library also supports Toronto youth through its Internet Connectivity Kits, thanks to a donor-funded program that helps the library provide free access to computers and Wi-Fi, valuable online resources, and literacy and learning programs. 

Consider supporting the Toronto Public Library system. 

Learn more about how you can help here.