A Year in the Life of Ross Cadastre, BBPA President We recently had a chance to sit down with Ross Cadastre to gauge his thoughts and perceptions on his first year as the President of the BBPA. Read the conversation below to get some insights into what’s happened at the BBPA in 2022 and what’s to come. Why did you decide to take on the role of BBPA President? My role as BBPA President is a strategic one for the organization. It came following a review of the BBPA’s 3-year strategic plan, where it was determined that the organization’s structure needed to be revamped to encourage growth. The de ..read more

On August 11, 2022, Public Services and Procurement Canada – Procurement Assistance Canada-Ontario Region in partnership with the National Research Council Canada: Industrial Research Assistance Program, Canadian Intellectual Property Office, CRA: Scientific Research & Experimental Development Tax Incentive Program, FedDev Ontario, Blacks in Technology Foundation, Dream Legacy Foundation, Nobellum Enterprise and the Black Entrepreneurship Alliance are hosting an Innovation Information Forum (IIF) to support Black entrepreneurs in the innovation and Science, Technology, Engineering & M ..read more

Over the past few months, we have spoken a lot about systemic racism—the longstanding institutional policies that have disenfranchised people of color and led to great disparities in wealth, representation, and justice between whites and minority populations. Our focus has been on this systemic racism because most of us would like to believe that overt racism is no longer a serious or prevalent issue—that we have all come to a place where we are no longer consciously prejudiced against each other, but simply suffer from the fallout of generations of institutionalized racism that subconsciously ..read more

Expansion will help overcome systemic racism and break down barriers to Black entrepreneurship. November 5, 2021, Toronto — After 39 years as Canada’s leading national Black business advocacy and support organization, the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) is expanding its leadership with a new CEO position. Nadine Spencer, who has served as the BBPA’s president since 2017, has been named by the board as acting CEO. Spencer will guide the BBPA through its continued growth of the organization’s ongoing expansions. These new projects include the launch of several new programs fo ..read more

On October 26th, Ahmed Hussen and Marci Ien were announced as Ministers of Housing, Diversity (Hussen) and Inclusion and Women, Gender Equality and Youth (Ien). Hussen, first elected in 2015, is a lawyer, specializing in immigration, refugee and criminal law and received numerous honours for his work. Ien has served as a Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre since October 2020 and is a passionate advocate for vulnerable communities across the country and globally.  As we step into a new cabinet, we are reminded of the importance of Black representation at all levels of government and th ..read more

This July, the Government of Canada announced a $1 million investment for the revitalization of Little Jamaica through its FedDev Ontario program. This investment will be provided to the BBPA by the City of Toronto and will be used to deliver programs and initiatives to support all Black-owned and operated businesses within the Little Jamaica boundaries, to help in these challenging times. We are working alongside the Eglinton Hill, Fairbank Village and York-Eglinton Business Improvement Areas and other local organizations to boost their efforts. This fall, we are excited to begin programs to ..read more

As the federal election has passed, we reflect on the power of Black voters and our increased representation at the polls and in parliament. Though the number of political candidates across the country is a difficult number to determine, we estimate over 50 candidates have stepped forward to represent their respective ridings. We witnessed the diversity in backgrounds and opinions and stepped away from the monolithism often imposed on Black voters. This election marked a historical step in solidifying our place in politics and the undeniable power of the Black vote.   As we step into ano ..read more

Thursday, September 30th marks the first national recognition for Truth and Reconciliation, a new statutory holiday passed by the federal government. Bill C-5 (June 2021) is meant for Canadians to remember the tragedies in residential schools and honour those who did not return home. Orange Shirt Day serves to commemorate the thousands of First Nations, Metis and Inuit children who were forced to part from their families, communities and culture to attend residentials schools. The recent discovery of more than 1,300 graves at the sites of four former residential schools in western Canada ..read more

On August 19th, the BBPA Academy launched its first The Business Of cohort to an enthusiastic response. Now heading into its 5th week of quality practical content, its attendees have actively contributed to the depth and breadth of each session. Taking place every Monday and Thursday, participants have joined industry experts in discussing a variety of topics, from business planning, operations, to branding. The courses aim to address core business topics for entrepreneurs and professionals. The scope focuses on key fundamentals and opportunity discovery. 85% of participants have rated the ov ..read more

Little Jamaica – the highest concentration of Toronto’s Black and Caribbean-owned businesses, have experienced a high level of disinvestment resulting from the Crosstown Light Rail Transit construction and the COVID-19 pandemic. A vibrant community full of culture and 85 Black businesses have been disproportionately impacted resulting in 48 vacant storefronts. The community development initiative “BBPA in the Community: Eglinton West,” founded after consultations from Mayor John Tory’s Roundtable on Black Business, will build a plan that supports local Black-owned business growth and long-ter ..read more