Second Annual Canoo Awards celebrate institutions that retain newcomer talent in Canada.
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) is pleased to announce the winners of its second annual Canoo Awards, which recognize institutions that open their doors to newcomers via the ICC’s award-winning Canoo app with exceptional effect.
The 2024 Canoo Award winners are: The Manitoba Children’s Museum (Kids’ Choice Award), the National Arts Centre (Breakthrough Award), Cisco Networking Academy (Innovation Award), Toronto Symphony Orchestra (Community Award), Parks Canada (Founders’ Award), and The Toronto Zoo (Partner of the Year Award).
“As Canada stares down an existential threat to our existence, it is even more important to retain talented newcomers, build their belief in Canada, and set them up to contribute their unique talents to our success over the long-term,” says Daniel Bernhard, CEO of the ICC. “Canoo is Canada’s largest immigrant integration service, but it is only possible because of our exceptional partners, whose contributions via Canoo make Canada so much stronger in this hour of need.”
This year’s Canoo Awards go to six exceptional organizations that have collectively welcomed over 107,641 newcomers with free admission and heavily discounted experiences in 2024 via Canoo. By offering one-of-a-kind experiences for newcomers, these organizations do a great service to all of Canada, supporting a strong and resilient society where people from around the world contribute to our shared future and success.
These second annual Canoo Awards are proudly presented to the following organizations in the following categories:
Kids’ Choice Award: Manitoba Children’s Museum, Winnipeg
The Kids’ Choice Award recognizes a Canoo partner attraction with the highest proportion of child admissions via Canoo over the last year. In 2024, the Manitoba Children’s Museum welcomed the largest proportion of children relative to overall admissions.
Breakthrough Award: National Arts Centre, Ottawa
The Breakthrough Award recognizes the most visited Canoo partner attraction that joined the program within the last year, quickly becoming a new favourite among newcomers. In 2024, the National Arts Centre welcomed 350 Canoo members to its performances in Ottawa.
Innovation Award: Cisco Networking Academy
The Innovation Award recognizes the Canoo partner which demonstrated exceptional creativity and innovation in designing programs, services, or initiatives that provide unique value to newcomers. In 2024, 965 Canoo members enrolled in 2,036 free upskilling classes through the Cisco Networking Academy, developing skills in economically critical subjects like AI and cybersecurity.
Community Award: Toronto Symphony Orchestra
The Community Award recognizes the Canoo partner which has shown extraordinary dedication to fostering connections and creating a sense of belonging for newcomers through active community engagement, on and beyond Canoo. In 2024, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra offered a standing 25% discount, welcoming 1,800 Canoo members to experience its Masterworks concert series.
Founders’ Award, presented by TELUS: Parks Canada
The Founders’ Award recognizes the Canoo partner that has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to advancing the ICC’s co-Founders’ vision of an inclusive Canada that embraces newcomers and all they contribute to our society. A Canoo partner since 2012, Parks Canada is dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment within its organization and across Canadian society by offering free admission for one year to Parks Canada administered places to eligible newcomers to Canada.
Canoo Partner of the Year Award, presented by CIBC: Toronto Zoo
The Partner of the Year Award recognizes the Canoo partner attraction that welcomed the most newcomers in 2024: the stand-out favourite among Canoo members. For the second year in a row, this Award goes to the Toronto Zoo, which welcomed 57,311 newcomers to its site via Canoo.
These awards will be presented at the ICC’s 2025 Canada’s Difference Makers Gala, which will be held at the Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto on April 29th.
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Quotes from our Canoo Award winners:
“The Manitoba Children’s Museum is thrilled to be selected as the 2024 Canoo Kids’ Choice Award winner by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC). This recognition spotlights the dedication to our vision of providing an educational experience filled with excitement, wonder, and curiosity that all children can access. The Manitoba Children’s Museum cares deeply about our community and is extremely pleased to offer this wonderful safe space in which to warmly welcome newcomers, so they can explore, create, connect, interact, and enjoy learning. It is an honour to be part of the newcomer journey and to play a role in helping them feel at home in Canada.” —Sara Hancheruk, Executive Director, Manitoba Children’s Museum
“We are proud to be the winners of the 2024 Canoo Breakthrough Award and of our successful partnership with Canoo, which, in such a short time, has proved essential in helping us create a more inclusive and welcoming space for newcomers at their National Arts Centre. The NAC believes that the performing arts are vital to the human experience, and we work every day to ensure that we are an open and safe space where everyone knows they belong.” —Kondwani Mwase, Executive Director of Audience Engagement at the National Arts Centre.
“Cisco Networking Academy is committed to providing educational opportunities that foster an inclusive future for all. We’re honoured to receive the 2024 Canoo Innovation Award from the Institute for Canadian Citizenship. This award underscores the importance of designing education programs that supports and empowers newcomers to Canada.” —Raj Juneja, President of Cisco Canada
“At the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, we believe music is best experienced when it’s shared. Receiving this recognition from Canoo is truly meaningful for us, as it reflects the heart of what we strive for: a place where newcomers and all Torontonians feel at home. We’re honoured to be part of so many newcomer journeys and grateful for the opportunity to connect through music. Our partnership with Canoo has allowed us to welcome thousands of new Canadians, and we look forward to continuing to create moments of belonging and shared joy in our city.” —Mark Williams, Toronto Symphony Orchestra Beck Family CEO
“At your Toronto Zoo, we believe that everyone should feel a deep sense of belonging—both in our community and in nature. As we move forward with our new Guardians of Wild Strategic Plan, we are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming space where all guests, staff, volunteers and partners see themselves reflected and valued. By embracing diversity and strengthening connections, we ensure that your Toronto Zoo is a place where people of all backgrounds can come together to learn, explore, and be inspired to protect wildlife and wild spaces.” —Dolf DeJong, CEO of Toronto Zoo
About the ICC
The Institute for Canadian Citizenship works for a Canada where immigrants don’t just come, but stay, become citizens, succeed, and make Canada stronger, richer, and more interesting. Via its award-winning Canoo app, the ICC has helped over 800,000 newcomers integrate into Canada with free and discounted culture, nature and sport experiences.
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