Mississaugas of Scugog Island Named Top 10 Finalist in Canada’s Kindest Community

TANNY CHIU Integrated Media

SCUGOG: Just 15 minutes from Port Perry, the Mississaugas of Scugog Island is being recognized, on a national stage, for something its residents practice every day: kindness.

The community has been named one of the Top 10 finalists in Canada’s Kindest Community, a nationwide program, presented by Coca-Cola Canada. The recognition comes after an extensive search which saw 804 communities across the country submit nearly 5,400 acts of kindness, ranging from quiet, personal gestures to large-scale community initiatives.

The Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan in Canada has a rich history which began in the mid-1990s. It started as a simple truck decorated with festive lights and spread holiday cheer throughout communities. The tradition was revived during the Covid-19 pandemic, allowing the truck to be decorated again for the first time since 1999. This event became a yearly tradition, known as the Holiday Caravan, which travels across Canada to deliver optimism and kindness-led experiences which highlight the spirit of the season.

The Holiday Caravan has grown into a national tradition that visits hundreds of communities each year, bringing Canadians together to foster a sense of belonging during the holiday season. The program has also introduced the Canada’s Kindest Community Contest, encouraging Canadians to share stories of kindness that have made life in their community better. Last year the winning community received a $50,000 donation to a local non-profit organization and a special 2025 Holiday Caravan experience.

This year the winning community will receive a $100,000 donation.

Mississaugas of Scugog Island earned its place on the shortlist, through daily acts of compassion, reflecting a strong sense of community care. From helping neighbours in need to looking out for vulnerable residents, these moments of kindness added up to a powerful collective impact.

As a Top 10 finalist, the community is now in the running for the title of Canada’s Kindest Community. The winning community will receive a $100,000 prize, awarded locally, to a charity serving the community, and allocated through Community Foundations Canada. The winner will also be selected as a stop on the Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan Tour, in 2026, bringing a festive celebration of optimism and togetherness to the community.

The Top 10 communities were determined based on the highest number of valid nominations per capita. Submissions will now be blindly evaluated by a panel of judges, including representatives from last year’s winning community, Jarvis, Ontario, as well as Coca-Cola, Coke Canada Bottling, Community Foundations Canada, and an independent third party. The winning community is expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

Among the heartfelt stories submitted by the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation was one describing a college student who noticed an elderly man shivering alone at a bus stop on a winter evening. She wrapped her scarf around his neck, bought him a hot cup of tea, and stayed with him until his bus arrived. Another story highlighted a family known for quietly helping those around them, regularly offering food and small donations to people in need and placing a box of water bottles outside their home, during the summer months, for passersby. Their simple acts inspired others in the neighbourhood to give back.

The other communities named in the Top 10 finalists, in no particular order, are: Elnora and Maskwacis in Alberta; Lower Similkameen, McBride, and Peachland in British Columbia; Colinet in Newfoundland and Labrador; Hilton Beach in Ontario; Les Lacs-du-Témiscamingue in Quebec; and Arcola in Saskatchewan.

Whether or not the final title is claimed, the recognition underscores what residents of Mississaugas of Scugog Island already know — kindness, practised consistently, can have a national impact.