CALGARY — Canadian Pacific Railway yesterday unveiled a cross-border community investment program featuring a new charitable focus and multi-year partnerships with non-profit groups.
The program, called Community Connect, replaces the charitable donations previously made on CPR’s behalf by the Canadian Pacific Charitable Foundation. The CP Charitable Foundation closed its doors late last year as part of the spin-off of CP Limited companies.
Community Connect establishes long-term partnerships with selected charitable organizations on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. CPR’s Community Connect partners include the Canadian Association of Food Banks, the United Way and the Breakfast for Learning Canadian Living Foundation.
“This program reflects the natural strengths of the railway — building and connecting communities, celebrating our shared heritage and supporting our neighbors,” said Paul Clark, Vice President, Communications & Public Affairs. “Community Connect supports a few key programs that we believe will make a significant and lasting contribution to the quality of life in hundreds of communities along our tracks.”
Community Connect marks a significant shift from broad-based charitable giving to a narrower focus on strategic partnerships and long-term commitments. CPR’s partner charities are chosen for their ability to pass on the benefits of the company’s contributions to a large number of communities.
CPR today launched a three-year Community Connect partnership with Breakfast for Learning, a national organization which promotes nutrition among school age children in more than 3,600 communities. CPR will work with Breakfast for Learning on a number of fundraising and awareness initiatives, including a summer holiday concert series and steam train tour of western Canada.
CPR will once again support the United Way and CPR Holiday Train in 2002, delivering assistance to dozens of local organizations across CPR’s North American network. Safety, environment and heritage programs will also be unveiled in the program’s first year.
“Community Connect is about more than cash donations,” said Clark. “It provides a way for us to harness the railway’s unique qualities to benefit communities. Whether it’s a steam train visiting a community event or employees collecting food bank donations, we believe we have a tremendous amount to give back to the towns and cities where we work and live.”
Visit CPR’s web site (www.cpr.ca) for more information on the Community Connect program.
CPR’s 14,000-mile network serves the principal centres of Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver, and the U.S. Northeast and Midwest regions. CPR’s track feeds directly into the Chicago hub from the East and West coasts. Alliances with other carriers extend CPR’s market reach beyond its own network and into the major business centres of Mexico. For more information, visit CPR’s website at www.cpr.ca.