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Congratulations to our grant recipients, finalists and nomination prize winners!
We’re proud to celebrate our five 2025 True North Small Business Grant Contest recipients. Small businesses play a vital role in keeping our country strong, and this year’s recipients exemplify drive, resilience, and community leadership. Each business has been awarded $25,000 in cash funding along with $500 in shipping to support their continued growth and impact.
Igloolik, NunavutAs an Inuit-owned and operated retail store with the goal of eliminating food insecurity in the North, Arctic Fresh is committed to making healthy food more affordable for the people of Nunavut. 
Rhoda Recinos, Owner Making Canada strongerArctic Fresh doesn’t just sell groceries, they’re pioneering a vital shift toward Inuit Food Sovereignty. Using an efficient supply chain, paired with local hiring and skills development, their strategy is building strong, healthy, and economically empowered communities. Arctic Fresh has also partnered with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the National Research Council in a unique collaboration involving Igloolik youth disrupting the current failed food infrastructure in the Arctic. This co-development benefits both astronauts and remote communities, positioning Arctic Fresh as a national leader in future-forward food solutions and showcasing Northern ingenuity. Arctic Fresh aren’t just trying to feed their community, they are trying to feed the future of Inuit. 
St. John’s, NewfoundlandDedicated to selling the very best in home and office furniture and appliances, Island Furniture offers an inclusive environment where people gain job skills, build confidence, and contribute to their community. 
Brian Colbourne, CPA, Making Canada strongerBy employing individuals with intellectual disabilities, Island Furniture reduces barriers to work, lowers dependency on social assistance, and contributes to a more inclusive economy. They serve as a model of how a business can succeed financially while prioritizing community outcomes, proving that social enterprise can create lasting, positive change. By investing millions into its local communities, Island Furniture reinforces Canada’s reputation for inclusion, innovation, and community-driven solutions. Every couch, chair, or desk they sell represents more than furniture, it represents opportunity. 
Edmonton, AlbertaAn Indigenous-owned, woman-led, Certified B Corp, Jack59 creates salon-quality hair care products that are free from harmful chemicals, ensuring that customers receive the best possible care for their hair while minimizing their environmental impact. 
Vanessa Marshall, Founder
Making Canada strongerFrom humble beginnings working out of a residential kitchen to a 5,500-sq-ft facility, Jack59 is helping to create stable, meaningful jobs for women and Indigenous makers. Through their innovative solid shampoo and conditioner bars they have eliminated over 1,000,000 plastic bottles from entering landfills and waterways, proving that ethical manufacturing can thrive right here in Canada; purpose-driven business can be both profitable and powerful. Through their mentorship, speaking events, and advocating for equitable representation in the beauty and manufacturing sectors, Jack59 is empowering people locally, inspiring entrepreneurs nationally, and representing Canada internationally. 
Newmarket, OntarioMaplelea designs and sells premium 18” dolls with outfits, accessories, and immersive journals that reflect Canadian culture, heritage, and geography. Children can also create their own Canadian character Maplelea&ME! Dolls. 
Kathryn Gallagher Morton, Founder
Making Canada strongerMaplelea deepens their customers’ connection to Canada: children ask to visit parts of Canada mentioned in the journals and to try activities inspired by their doll. Their Inuk character, Saila of Iqaluit, is especially impactful. Her trilingual journal (English, French and Inuktitut) reflects life in Nunavut. The Government of Nunavut purchased Saila dolls for every childcare program in the territory, enabling Inuit children to see their culture reflected in play. Working with an Indigenous knowledge-keeper, Maplelea created a doll-size regalia outfit that celebrates Indigenous culture cherished by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous families. 
Saskatoon, SaskatchewanAs a woman-owned company with a big mission: to save lives, SolusGuard is proof that purpose-driven innovation can create real impact. Their integrated solution combines wearable panic buttons, a mobile app, and monitoring software that connects employees with help when seconds count. 
Serese Selanders, Founder & CEO
Making Canada strongerAs a woman-owned company with a big mission: to save lives, SolusGuard is proof that compassion and innovation can coexist. By designing and manufacturing both their hardware and software entirely in Canada, they create jobs and keep data secure right here at home. SolusGuard proves that Canadian innovation can be world-class, compassionate, and community-driven. Proudly diverse, and in an industry dominated by large, male-led corporations, they’ve built something different: a company that leads with integrity, collaboration, and courage. SolusGuard helps make Canada stronger by protecting its people; the essential workers, the unsung heroes. From coast to coast, small businesses continue to make a difference in their communities. Discover our finalists and the important role they play in helping Canada thrive.                            Nomination
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