2023 Impact Awards winner: Petro-Canada: Winnipeg

“While also running a busy A&W restaurant, food waste was always tough to see,” says area retailer licensee Ravinder Kumar. He decided to act. He reached out to Second Harvest in Winnipeg, part of Canada’s largest food rescue charity, to help reduce food wastage and fight hunger in his local community. Through the partnership, surplus food is picked up regularly by courier and redistributed to various social service organizations and food hubs, from senior centres to food banks and shelters.

His efforts to give back extend further, including collaborating with Lorette Collegiate, a local high school. “The aim was to provide financial support to young athletes to help them achieve their goals, including playing college hockey,” explains Kumar.

The company also backs numerous fundraising events including the annual province-wide Empower the Children Ride in association with Sikh Motorcycle Club of Manitoba and the Guardians of the Children Motorcycle Club, focused on helping the victims of child abuse. Sikh motorcyclists gathered again for a fundraiser for Diabetes Canada, another cause Kumar’s team rallied for.

The Petro-Canada CareMakers Foundation, created for caregivers taking care of loved ones, is also close to Kumar’s heart. “Most of the families have unsung heroes, which provide support to their family members,” he says. “It’s important to help those individuals.”