Community

Supporting thriving and caring communities is important to Blakes. It begins with respect and care for those who work at the Firm. For six years in a row, Blakes was named one of "Canada's Top 100 Employers" by an independent national survey recognizing exceptional organizations and work environments.

Blakes lawyers and staff support more than 135 charitable organizations, community agencies and volunteer boards through donations of time and money. For example, Blakes in Toronto annually participates in the Daily Bread Food Bank Holiday Food Drive. This year, we raised more than C$17,000 in just three weeks with activities that ranged from floor challenges to pie-throwing contests. The Toronto office has also been involved in the Holiday Angel program, which is run by New Circles. The organization works with families in neighbourhoods primarily made up of recent immigrants and refugees. The purpose of the program is to match donor families with families in need to ensure each family member will receive needed gifts during the holiday season.

The Firm also participates annually in the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run for the Cure. This year we had another successful fundraising campaign, raising over C$64,000 nationwide and placing in the top tier of the National Corporate Teams in Canada.

The Firm and staff members are frequently recognized for their charitable efforts. Most recently, Louise Guay, a secretarial assistant in our Montréal office, was recognized as Exceptional Volunteer of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The award was presented in honour of National Philanthropy Day, which recognizes and pays tribute to those people active in the philanthropic community.