How the Canadian auto industry is giving back this year

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It’s been a tough year on many fronts in the auto industry, yet manufacturers and their dealers continue to support communities with initiatives that begin in their own towns and spread across the entire country — and even across the world. 

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The automotive manufacturing industry is a large part of the Canadian economy, and many dealers are a key component of their communities. We see you. Thank you!

Mazda

Mazda Canada has announced its continued commitment to Local Community Legends, a $600,000 initiative that allows its retailers to support 183 amazing citizens in their communities across Canada making a difference. People like:

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It follows their work of 2021, where they gave over $1M to small businesses struggling during the pandemic. Mazda Canada continues to fundraise for Campfire Circle, 360°kids, and Toronto Wildlife Centre. They also made a financial donation to the Ukrainian relief fund through the Canadian Red Cross, while Mazda employees personally donated art supplies to an art therapy program called Kids Create Ukraine for children in that country, and they have also crafted over 2,000 paper cranes to donate to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. 

Hyundai

Hyundai Canada has been busy all year. Dealers from across the country, together with Hyundai Canada, donated $500,000 to the Red Cross in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. Atlantic Hyundai dealers, even in the wake of Fiona’s wrath, continued to support their communities at all levels. O’Regan’s Hyundai in Darmouth donated over $200,000 to 25 charities, with $100,000 going to Dartmouth General Hospital. In total, over $300,000 came from six Atlantic dealerships, with Steele Hyundai in Halifax also putting in 40 volunteer hours this year. Additionally, through their 360°kids program, Hyundai dealers across Canada have donated $100,000 this year to fight youth homelessness. 

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General Motors

General Motors Canada and its dealers got festive with a convoy of pickups and vehicles, all built in Oshawa, delivering a bounty of toys and gifts to the Durham Children’s Aid Foundation (DCAF). A further donation from GM Canada on behalf of dealers all across Canada brought this generous contribution to over $313,000. In a bit of a twist, this year GM Canada “held a dealer contest for the opportunity to purchase the first 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 built for Canada, raising $253,000 for the DCAF through donations from 106 GM dealers.”

Kia

This year, Kia Canada has launched Kia Communities in Motion. Kia will be investing $1.4M over the next four years directed at initiatives that focus on building inclusive communities. “From teaching digital literacy skills to Black youths in Windsor, to assisting those in crisis situations in Saskatchewan, and providing gender-affirming items to transgender and gender diverse people in Nova Scotia, Kia Communities in Motion has seen projects coast-to-coast-to-coast flourish and move their communities forward.” A long-term plan that really does stretch right across Canada.

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BMW

BMW Group Canada’s H.R. department in Richmond Hill has created the “Fill A Mini, Fill a Heart” campaign. They pack a Mini full of toys and food and deliver the items to the York Regional Police Department for their “Holiday Heroes” campaign.  Donations are distributed to families in the York Region. Across the country, BMW and Mini retailers are busy coordinating their own community-based seasonal charitable campaigns.

Stellantis

Stellantis’ Windsor Assembly Plant’s annual Sparky’s Toy Drive delivered an amazing $21,000 and six minivans full of toys to a local charity, all having been collected by that plant’s employees. At the Brampton Assembly, a “pin a pair” initiative since 2017 has employees collect and donate needed items to local Family, Womens’, Mens’, and Youth shelters in that community. At the Etobicoke Casting Plant, workers raised $3,000 in a bake sale in support of local womens’ shelters. 

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Earlier this year, Stellantis employees and retirees contributed a record $831,216 to United Way/Centraide Windsor-Essex County, providing that community with innovative programming for children and youth in priority neighbourhoods, including tutoring, nutrition and mental health resources, and more. Windsor Assembly Plant presented the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Windsor-Essex with $7,000 donated by employees, while tradespeople at the Brampton Assembly Plant built a bench symbolic of suicide prevention to encourage a place of safety, and to talk.

Honda

With the return of the Honda Indy Toronto, Ontario Honda Dealers Association raised more than $84,000 this year for Make-A-Wish Canada during the event. For Honda Canada’s associate holiday campaign this year, “Giving Tuesday”, the Honda Canada Foundation matched donations by 400%, raising over $30,000 for charities across the country. 

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Honda Canada Foundation also began a long-term partnership in 2022 with FIRST Robotics, a terrific investment in students studying engineering and robotics. 

From Moncton Acura to Theetge Acura in Quebec and Silverhill Acura in Calgary, dealers are reaching out to their communities at this time of year. Honda Canada associates continue to also volunteer their time for everything from Shades of Hope Wildlife Refuge, aiding injured animals, to Flemingdon Community Farm to grow healthy produce for residents of that community, to working at York Region Food Network packing boxes serving seniors, local families, and food banks. They also participate in Habitat for Humanity and the Yonge Street Mission soup kitchen.

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Toyota

Hurricane Fiona was front-and-centre for Toyota and their Atlantic dealers this year as well. Toyota Canada, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada, and Toyota Financial Services donated $100,000 to the Canadian Red Cross in October, an amount that was matched by the Atlantic region Toyota dealers.

“Throughout the year, Toyota Dealers actively support their local communities and, when Atlantic Canada was hard hit with one of the worst storms to date, we knew we had to provide as much support as possible for the people who have been impacted,” said the Atlantic Zone Dealer Communication Team members.

Nissan

The Nissan Canada Foundation is in its 11th year of supporting the Mississauga Food Bank. They recently presented a $10,000 donation to their Holiday Campaign. In addition, Nissan employees support the Food Bank throughout the year with activities ranging from bake sales, silent auctions, non-perishable food drives, and volunteering their own time.

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Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi employees will be volunteering time at the Mississauga Food Bank in January, while Mitsubishi Canada, together with dealers, has once again donated $150,000 to Food Bank of Canada. The company continues its work across the country in its communities.

Land Rover

Land Rover, in its second year holding the Defender Service Awards, is pleased to announce that Sauvetage Bénévole Outaouais (Ottawa Volunteer Search and Rescue), a charitable, volunteer-based search-and-rescue organization serving Western Quebec and Eastern Ontario, will be the recipient of custom 2023 Land Rover Defender 130 SUV to continue their work. Land Rover awards five vehicles each year in the U.S. and Canada in five categories: Environmental and Conservation, Search and Rescue, Veterans Outreach, Animal Welfare, and Community Service. It’s a great win for the Canadian organization, which also receives US$25,000 from category sponsor Pelican.

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Subaru

Ontario Subaru dealers are working hard in their communities this time of year, with Whitby Subaru supporting Feed The Need Durham food bank and Subaru of Hamilton jamming their largest SUV full of toys and TVs for Hamilton’s Bounce Radio’s Toy Mountain at Limeridge Mall. 

In Oakville, Budd’s Subaru is once again donating to Kerr Street Mission, which provides that community with assistance for low-income and at-risk families and youth, as well as contributing to the United Way. Subaru of Orillia has continued its community work this year, most recently sponsoring events supporting Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital 

Over at Subaru of Niagara is Stockings of Love, while Otto’s Subaru Ottawa continues the ongoing tradition of Otto’s Planet: “For every car purchased at Otto’s BMW or Otto’s Subaru, the customer is presented with a list of Otto’s causes.” A set donation is made to one of the following great causes: MADD, Ottawa Food Bank, Ottawa Mission, Right to Play, or Scouts Canada. 

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Volkswagen

Volkswagen Canada lets employees select a “Charity of Choice” to support, and for the past several years, they’ve chosen Campfire Circle (formerly Camp Ooch and Camp Trillium), bringing a true Canadian camp experience to children affected by cancer. It provides “week-long and weekend family camp, specialized one-week sessions for teens and bereaved siblings, and kids-only camp” in Muskoka.

VW not only provides a sizeable annual cash donation, but also a fleet of new vehicles each year so that they “can go about their camp business without worry,” says Thomas Tetzlaff, VW Canada’s manager of public relations. Volkswagen employees provide free labour at their annual “company work days”, where they show up for prep work like cleaning, painting, and any other maintenance needed to help these deserving kids. VW is also a proud leader in the camp’s annual Sporting Life 10K corporate challenge, a run that raises over $1M for the camp.

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Ford

Toronto Area Ford dealers, for the 13th year, have supported CTV’s Toy Mountain in association with the Salvation Army. In addition to accepting toys and gift cards at their local dealers, the TAFDA has also donated $75,000 to the cause to help ensure GTA children and their families have a brighter Christmas. You can support the effort here.

Out west, Sherwood Ford‘s annual toy drive stuffing an F-150 with toys and games for local kids in Sherwood Park, Alberta, while Koch Ford Lincoln in Edmonton held its food drive for the Edmonton Food Bank. Rainbow Ford in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta filled an F-150 with pet supplies and matched donations for the Rocky Organization for Animal Rescue. Norris Ford in Wainwright sponsored a pancake breakfast for CFB Wainwright, raising funds for social issues in that community through the National Defence Workplace Charitable program. Griffiths Ford in Hinton held their 17th annual Turkey Drive and raised funds for the Hinton Healthcare Foundation.