We’re Committed to Community Involvement

Thomson Carswell is active in the various communities within Canada where our employees live and work. As responsible corporate citizens, we recognize our responsibility to improve the quality of life in our communities by supporting local and national programs that aim to improve the lives of Canadians. We support a wide range of community initiatives through donations, sponsorships, and employee volunteer activities. Similarly, we encourage employee development through a variety of internal and external programs, and sponsor numerous academic awards.

Corporate Charities

Thomson Carswell supports four charities corporately: Canadian Cancer Society, Canadian National Institute for the Blind, Canadian Red Cross, and The Salvation Army.

We provide funding for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Family Provided Transportation Program. This program provides transportation to young cancer patients – a group whose special needs fall outside the parameters of the Canadian Cancer Society’s other transportation services. Transportation assistance is provided if a volunteer driver is not, or if the use of a volunteer driver is not appropriate. For example, if a child requires a special car seat bolted into the frame of the car, or if the parent of the child has other children and must take them along to the appointment, or if the parent has a baby that is still nursing. On top of our annual corporate donation, additional funds for the Canadian Cancer Society are raised through sale of crocuses each spring, and other employee-based fundraising initiatives.

Similarly, we provide financial support to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind’s Braille Literacy/Digital Library. The funds donated for this purpose help the CNIB in their campaign to digitize the Library, which is the most advanced alternative format library in the world. Braille is regarded as the only true method of literacy for those who are blind, and involves the acquisition of skills such as spelling, grammar, and punctuation, which promote reading and writing. In turn, Braille literacy fosters independence, and people who are blind and Braille literate generally achieve greater success in terms of education and employment than those who are blind and do not read Braille. The CNIB Library is Canada’s foremost producer of Braille books and virtually the only source of Braille materials for blind and visually impaired children and adults in the country. Thomson Carswell is committed to providing funding to support Braille Literacy through annual contributions and employee-driven fundraising initiatives.

The funds we donate to the Canadian Red Cross are earmarked for the Scarborough Homeless Drop-In Centre. This community program allows the homeless and underhoused of Scarborough to access the basic necessities of shelter, food, clothing, and health care, which help alleviate hardship and suffering and encourage independence and capacity to cope. The Scarborough Homeless Drop-In Centre barbeques and luncheons are also well staffed by Thomson Carswell volunteers. In addition to our annual corporate donation, Thomson Carswell donates additional funds for this important program through employee fundraising efforts and activities.

Similarly, Thomson Carswell supports The Salvation Army’s Markham/Eglinton Breakfast Club, which was founded to ensure that all children in the community – regardless of race, religion, or economic background – eat a well-balanced breakfast. Research has shown that children who eat a healthy meal in the morning are less aggressive and perform better academically than their counterparts who go without. This program provides approximately 60-70 children with a balanced breakfast that includes juice, fruit, cereal, milk, and toast on a daily basis.

Thomson Carswell also participates in The Salvation Army’s Elf Tree Program and Hats, Coats, and Mittens drive. Each year, The Salvation Army collects and distributes toys to more than 22,500 children. The Elf Tree Program plays a major role in the Army’s ability to obtain and deliver these toys to children in the community, and Thomson Carswell employees donate toys and their time volunteering at booths in malls and at distribution centres to support this program. Similarly, Thomson Carswell employees make, buy, and deliver winter outerwear as part of the Give a Kid a Coat Program and Hats, Mittens, and Socks Drive. In 2005, Thomson Carswell employees collected 248 winter outerwear items, 240 toys, over 300 pounds of food, more than 1000 toiletry items, and over 100 TTC tokens for various Salvation Army initiatives.

In addition to our four corporately sponsored charities, Thomson Carswell also supports employee initiatives to raise funds and awareness for a variety of worthy organizations each year (e.g. Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, United Way, Canadian Blood Services, etc.).

Academic Awards

As Canada’s leading publisher of legal, tax, and business publications, Thomson Carswell is a proud sponsor of dozens of academic awards at institutions throughout Canada. The Carswell Prize and the Stikeman Elliot/Carswell National Tax Award are given out at various universities, colleges, and professional associations throughout Canada, including: Queen’s University, Ontario Police College, McGill University, Certified General Accountants, University of Western Ontario, Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario, University of Alberta, Dalhousie University, York University, Université de Montréal, etc.

In 2005, the combined value of The Carswell Prize and Stikeman Elliott/Carswell National Tax Awards totalled nearly $50,000.

Volunteerism

Thomson Carswell encourages our employees to give back to the community as part of our corporate volunteer policy. Under this policy, employees are entitled to volunteer their time during regular work hours to recognized charities, groups, and organizations. In 2005, Thomson Carswell volunteers contributed 486 hours under this program. Volunteering is further supported through the Thomson Community Champion Awards, where employee efforts in the community are rewarded, and where the charitable organizations our employees donate their time to may receive additional financial support.