Aviva Community Fund grand prize winners announced

Aviva Canada has announced the 13 grand prize winners of the Aviva Community Fund (ACF) competition.

The 13 grand prize winners will share $1 million in funding from ACF and will also have access to a number of free services from CanadaHelps.org – a partnership announced earlier this year to increase the impact of Aviva Canada’s charitable funding. The grand prize winners were chosen from among 30 finalists, 450 ideas for positive change and a record-breaking three million votes, Aviva Canada said in a press release.

“It’s been another amazing year with the Aviva Community Fund,” said Debora Hendrickson, Aviva Canada’s senior vice president, customer and marketing. “We’re continually inspired by the commitment and engagement in communities across Canada, demonstrated by this year’s record-breaking submissions and votes. A big congratulations to this year’s ACF winners and kudos to all the finalists. We are so proud to be able to bring our donation total to over $7.5 million over the past eight years.”

The grand prize winners included four in the Community Resilience category (environment, climate, disaster relief and prevention); four in Community Health (health, sport, active living and play); and five in Community Development (education, skills training, culture, research and basic needs):

Community Resilience

• Food Forest (Owen Sound, Ont.)
• Grand nettoyage de la rivière du Chêne (Sainte-Thérèse, Que.)
• Pathway to Progress – Building a Resilient Future (Tecumseh, Ont.)
• SLAquaponie au Cégep de Rimouski (Rimouski, Que.)

Community Health

• Building Renovations for Temporary Shelter (Woodstock, N.B.)
• Caleb’s Courage Fund for Pediatric Palliative Care (Cape Breton Island, N.S.)
• Jessica’s House – a residential hospice (Exeter, Ont.)
• Sacred Heart Academy Playspace with Heart Project (Marystown, Nfld.)

Community Development

• Bashaw – A Place for Everyone (Bashaw, Alta.)
• Dartmouth North Good Food Market & Café (Dartmouth, N.S.)
• I Am Awesome! (And I Know It!) Self Esteem Retreat (Fort Frances, Ont.)
• Revitalization of The Hub (Vancouver, B.C.)
• Share the Harvest, Feed the People! (Moncton, N.B.)

The remaining 17 finalists – named below – received $5,000, donations that will be made on behalf of the finalists to a charity of their choice.

Finalists receiving $5,000

• Des jardins à partager partout! (Trois-Rivières, Que.)
• Ecole Quarterway Nature Inspired Play Space (Nanaimo, B.C.)
• Emma’s Acres Food Sustainability (Mission, B.C.)
• Ferme Urbaine (Montréal, Que.)
• Holy Redeemer Catholic School’s Playground (Kanata, Ont.)
• Keeping the cancer journey close to home (North Bay, Ont.)
• Love, Dignity, and Respect (Moncton, N.B.)
• McGirr Elementary Playground Upgrade (Nanaimo, B.C.)
• Oliver Community Fundraising Park Project (Oliver, B.C.)
• Projector and Screen for Columbia Valley Centre (Invermere, B.C.)
• Raptor Rehabilitation Flight Pen (Georgina, Ont.)
• Riverstone Playground (Grand Prairie, Alta.)
• Swan Lake Newfoundland Tour (Toronto, Ont.)
• Un jardin thérapeutique à La Maison Aube-Lumière (Sherbrooke, Que.)
• Une serre à rénover pour des légumes à partager (Lavaltrie, Que.)
• We Play For Shaye (Prince Albert, Sask.)
• Wildlife Veterinary Hospital (Caledon East, Ont.)

Aviva Canada provides home, automobile, leisure/lifestyle and business insurance to more than three million customers. A wholly-owned subsidiary of United Kingdom-based Aviva plc, the company has more than 4,000 employees. The insurer invests in positive change through the ACF, Canada’s longest running online community funding competition. Since its inception in 2009, the ACF has awarded $7.5 million to more than 250 charities and community groups nationwide.