Community Investment Mission
"To create a legacy of giving based on our commitment to fostering strong, healthy and sustainable communities along Toronto’s waterfront. Our giving is focused on sport and recreation, arts and culture, and education in ways that support youth, families and a healthier environment."
Founded on and aligned with the PortsToronto Community Investment mission, PortsToronto places great importance on being an active participant and strong supporter of the community it operates in. Through its community investment initiatives, each year PortsToronto provides more than $500,000 in donations, sponsorships and in-kind contributions to community initiatives, activities and events that facilitate the long-term success and growth of the people who live, work and visit the Toronto waterfront area.
PortsToronto's priority is to support communities, youth and families along the waterfront under three investment pillars:
- Sports and Recreation
- Arts and Culture
- Education
In striving to make a difference to its local community, PortsToronto has been able to support various programs, festivals and events annually through PortsToronto's dedicated giving program. Some examples include:
The Bentway Conservancy
The initiative provides much needed recreational space, in an otherwise unusable area that will benefit our neighbours and the larger Toronto community. The project includes an ice skating trail, an amphitheater, a large green lawn, landscape features, and various event spaces which will all be located under the Gardiner and sitting over 45ft above ground.
Waterfront Neighbourhood Centre’s Youth Arts Programme and Community Connect Garden
A PortsToronto-funded program that supports the Centre’s arts programming (including Room 13) for youth in the community and the Community Connect Garden.
Disabled Sailing Association
Through PortsToronto’s support, youth were able to apply for bursaries for the summer sailing program.
Aloha Toronto
This annual beach weekend festival supported by PortsToronto raises funds for and provides a day of fun on the water for children with autism.
Set Sail for Hope in support of Camp Trillium
PortsToronto's support assists with a fundraiser to allow children living with cancer and their families to go to Camp Trillium.
Redpath Waterfront Festival
PortstToronto supports this unique, one-of-a-kind, three-day Festival, which positions and promotes Toronto locally, nationally and internationally as a waterfront destination by providing on-water, on-land, heritage and cultural programming.
Ireland Park Foundation
PortsToronto is a financial supporter and community partner of Ireland Park, a location that honours the Irish immigrants who fled Ireland during the Great Famine of 1847 and the 38,000 who arrived in Toronto that summer.
Broad Reach Foundation
Broad Reach Foundation offers free life-skills and job training education for at-risk youth
in the Greater Toronto Area, building confidence, leadership and teamwork through sailing.
PortsToronto proudly supports Broad Reach Foundation through initiatives such as its
inaugural Jilàsi for Youth Regatta. 2018 will mark the organization’s 20th anniversary and
upward of 4,000 youth engaged through their unique experiential sailing education programs.
Evergreen Brickworks
Working with Evergreen Brickworks to fund and build green schoolyards in six downtown Toronto schools in 2014/2015. Helping create dynamic outdoor classrooms that provide students with a healthy place to play and learn.
Swim Drink Fish
Swim Drink Fish is working to create a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future by connecting and empowering people in order to stop pollution, protect human health, and restore natural habitat.
Fly for MS
PortsToronto provides in-kind support to Fly for MS, a humanitarian organization flying 20,000 miles to give wings to those living with Multiple Sclerosis in an effort to raise global awareness.
Hope Air
PortsToronto supports Hope Air, a unique national charity that arranges free flights for
Canadians who are in financial need and must travel to access health care.
SugarShack
PortsToronto supports this unique, two-day Festival, located at Sugar Beach.