Canon Canada awards $60,000 to Vancouver’s new Community Urban Agriculture Fund

Canon Canada’s President and CEO Kevin Ogawa presents Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson with a $60,000 cheque for Vancouver’s Community Urban Agriculture Fund at the opening of Canon’s BC headquarters in downtown Vancouver.

$60,000 donation to Vancouver’s Community Urban Agriculture Fund celebrates the company’s expanded presence in the city

VANCOUVER, May 11 /CNW Telbec/ – Canon Canada announced today it will be opening a new Vancouver Business Solutions office during a gala luncheon for dignitaries, employees and partners held at the Fairmont Hotel.

The invite-only event featured 2010 Olympic gold medalist Maëlle Ricker and a performance by Grammy and Juno Award-winning artist Sarah McLachlan. Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson was also on hand to accept a donation of $60,000 from Canon Canada to Vancouver’s new Community Urban Agriculture Fund, established to support community-based gardening projects across the city.

“Urban agriculture is taking hold in Vancouver and with Canon’s generous founding donation, the Vancouver Community Urban Agriculture Fund will be able to support community groups and agencies purchase plants and supplies to grow food and enrich meals,” Mayor Gregor Robertson said. “Thanks to Canon and this very welcome start-up money, more people will get to enjoy the nutrition and delicious taste of fresh garden products grown locally in our city.”

The City will be working with Canon to develop parameters around Fund applications, with a focus on encouraging participation, innovation and community building. Once established, the City will communicate as to the availability of the fund and how to apply. Canon Canada is a strong supporter of environmental sustainability with its Clean Earth Campaign and sponsorship of the Canon Envirothon.

“Canon Canada has been a proud part of the greater Vancouver community since the mid-1990s,” said Mason Olds, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Imaging Systems Group, Canon Canada Inc. “The city’s status as a world-class business centre has helped our business to grow. As we celebrate the new headquarters for our British Columbia operations, we’re happy to be able to give back to the broader Vancouver community through Canon’s support of the Urban Agriculture Fund.”

Faced with increasing competition, businesses today are looking for solutions that can help them reduce expenditures and increase productivity. To support this growing need, Canon’s British Columbia Business Solutions Division team has doubled in size over the last year. The new office at 999 West Hastings Street will open June 1st and support Canon’s comprehensive business product line which includes networked multifunction devices, digital copiers, printers, scanners, image filing systems and facsimile machines.