What does it take to become Canada’s Kindest Community?
In the Durham Region, it’s the daily acts of kindness that have earned Mississaugas of Scugog Island (MSI) a spot among the 10 finalists in Canada’s Kindest Community, the national program by Coca-Cola in Canada.
The nationwide search saw 804 communities submit nearly 5,400 acts of kindness, ranging from small gestures to large-scale initiatives.
As a Top 10 finalist, Mississaugas of Scugog Island is now in the running for the title of Canada’s Kindest Community, along with:
- A $100,000 prize awarded locally to a charity serving the community, allocated by Community Foundations Canada
- A stop on the Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan 2026 tour, spreading optimism and shared moments of joy in their community
The 10 communities with the highest number of valid nominations per capita formed the Canada’s Kindest Community shortlist.
The submissions for each community will now blindly be evaluated by a panel of judges, made up of representatives from last year’s winning community (Jarvis, Ontario), Coca-Cola, Coke Canada Bottling, Community Foundations Canada, and an independent third party to determine the winning community, with the winner announced in the coming weeks.
Some kind acts from Mississaugas of Scugog Island included:
- One winter evening, a college student noticed an elderly man shivering alone at a bus stop. She wrapped her scarf around his neck, bought him a hot cup of tea, and waited with him until his bus arrived.
- One family quietly looked out for everyone around them. They regularly helped people with disabilities or those in need by offering food and small donations, and in the summer placed a box of water bottles outside their home for anyone passing by. Their simple, thoughtful actions inspired others in the neighbourhood to find new ways to give back.
The other nine communities that make up the Top 10 of Canada’s Kindest Community, in no particular order, include:
- AB: Elnora
- AB: Maskwacis
- BC: Lower Similkameen
- BC: McBride
- BC: Peachland
- NL: Colinet
- ON: Hilton Beach
- QC: Les Lacs-du-Témiscamingue
- SK: Arcola
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