$1 million-plus invested in community building

A global mega hub is obviously defined, first and foremost, by the connections it provides to other parts of the world. But that connectivity only has value if it also reaches deep into an airport’s surrounding region, creating impacts that extend beyond transportation infrastructure to all aspects of economic and social well-being.

This is how we frame the GTAA’s commitment to corporate responsibility: to fully deliver on our promise as a mega hub connecting Canada to opportunity, we must also take a leadership a role in helping the communities on our doorstep grow stronger.

Our community-building efforts are particularly focused on helping the underemployed pursue more rewarding livelihoods. More than 300,000 people work in the Airport Employment Zone, Canada’s second-largest employment cluster after downtown Toronto. But for the two million people living within a 17-km radius of Toronto Pearson, there is a significantly higher rate of underemployment than in the overall Greater Toronto Area. Approximately 43 per cent of our neighbours, despite having post-secondary degrees, are working in jobs that are well below their education or skill levels.

This is where we believe the GTAA can help make a difference: championing on-the-ground solutions to underemployment by directly investing in local organizations that foster talent and connect people to the right opportunities.

$100,000 charity run

In September 2018, our 11th annual Runway Run welcomed 2,500 participants in a 5K run and a 2K walk at Toronto Pearson, raising $100,000 to help support local communities through the Propeller Project.

Making good things fly

Our signature community investment program is the Propeller Project. Through it, we invest one per cent of net income annually in community-building initiatives across our region. Many GTAA employees play an active role in these efforts. And we invite the broader public to join us by placing donations in the Propeller Project globes situated throughout the airport, or by participating in our annual Runway Run fundraiser.

In 2016, we started a project to determine an appropriate focus area for the Propeller Project going forward – one that was a high priority for nearby communities and would address a significant social issue. Through research, stakeholder interviews and consultations, we learned about the high levels of underemployment in our region – a challenge that is reflected in low income levels and often leads to chronic poverty. This was particularly true for recent school graduates, as well as for later-stage newcomers to Canada – people who have been in the country for three years or more and are no longer eligible for support from social services agencies. At the same time, we found that local businesses were frustrated by a shortage of skilled labour that inhibited their ability to grow.

Based on these learnings, we reoriented the Propeller Project in 2018 to focus on research, advocacy and programs aimed at helping local residents move into jobs that are better aligned with their knowledge, skills and education. In doing so, we also expect to identify and support pilot ideas that will help area businesses identify, hire and retain the workforce they require for sustained growth.

While we’ll continue to support a number of broader-based initiatives aimed at creating stronger and healthier communities, our primary focus will be on helping to address the complex issues of underemployment in our region.

In 2018, the GTAA invested $1.02 million in 24 local non-profit organizations serving Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton.

Our community partners

In keeping with our new focus, we’ve made a three-year, $300,000 commitment to MABELLEarts, a community organization in Central Etobicoke that has taken a leading role in developing arts programs for unemployed and underemployed newcomers (see our feature story, “Creating change through art”). Here are some of the other organizations we’re partnering with:

NPower Canada – We work with NPower to address both unemployment and underemployment through its sector-based workforce development program. In 2018, this partnership offered free skills training, job placement and career laddering services in the IT sector to 120 low-income young adults across Peel Region.

Windmill Microlending – We support the work of Windmill Microlending (formerly the Immigration Access Fund) in providing access to low-interest loans for skilled immigrant professionals living in communities around the airport. These loans facilitate the accreditation process for newcomers seeking work in the professions they were trained for, or looking to upgrade their education and skills to help establish new careers in Canada.

Newcomer Kitchen – The GTAA is a signature partner of Newcomer Kitchen, an organization that brings together Syrian refugee women to cook and sell homemade meals to the community, with all proceeds shared among the cooks. Since the program was launched, Newcomer Kitchen has grown to support over 50 Syrian families and has built a large team of volunteers.

“Toronto Pearson has demonstrated a real concern for the community and the many newcomers who travel to Canada with high hopes when they arrive at the airport. Through its funding of social services initiatives, Toronto Pearson is helping make their hopes and dreams a reality.” — COSTI Immigrant Services

Strengthening our Communities