The Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and the Canadian Wood Council (CWC) have joined forces in support of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) #CelebrateCitizenship Challenge, which aims to encourage business leaders and employers across Canada to provide employees with paid time off to attend their citizenship ceremonies – a step towards a more open, diverse, and inclusive workplace and country.

“As more and more new Canadians settle in northern and rural communities, and as our sector builds its talent pipeline of the future, this effort is all about walking the talk on supporting diversity and inclusion,” said Derek Nighbor, President and CEO of FPAC. “We plan to take our commitment a step further and will work with our team members to find opportunities for them to attend a citizenship ceremony this year. We would encourage other national industry groups to consider doing the same.”

“The Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC) launched the Celebrate Citizenship Challenge to challenge employers to give their employees paid time off for their citizenship ceremonies. This simple act is a concrete step any employer can take to make their workplaces and therefore their communities more inclusive. Polling shows that 8 in 10 Canadians agree with us that new citizens should not have to take unpaid time off work to join our Canadian family. We are proud to say that over
50 organizations across Canada have signed on to #CelebrateCitizenship so far and we’re thrilled to add FPAC to that list,”
said Yasir Naqvi, CEO, Institute for Canadian Citizenship.

Any business, solo entrepreneur, or individual who supports the #CelebrateCitizenship Challenge can help contribute to a more inclusive society. For more information, visit www.inclusion.ca/celebrate-citizenship.