CSR IN ACTION Home About Us Social Responsibility CSR in Action OUR EVERYDAY ACTIONS Every day, TC Transcontinental demonstrates its commitment to pursuing its activities in a responsible manner, guided by its long-term vision. By working in collaboration with our teams, customers and suppliers, we take action to make a difference. Here are a few examples of our initiatives and the acknowledgments we have received over the years. 2021 Launch of the Circular Plastics Taskforce (CPT) Phase I White Paper Officially launched in 2020, the CPT is a collaborative effort of organizations interested in finding concrete solutions to improve the management of post-consumer plastics. The objective of Phase I was to conduct a detailed mapping of the value chain of the plastics recycling industry in Québec, to determine market needs and to establish optimization hypotheses aimed at achieving the required specifications, following a reverse engineering approach. Learn more about CPT and read its White paper for its recommendations. Supporting the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 TC Transcontinental is proud to respond to the Québec government's call for businesses to support the health and social services network in its COVID-19 vaccination campaign. The company will offer the supervised vaccination to the local population, TC Transcontinental employees and their families starting at the end of May. The company's vaccination centre will be in Montréal’s Rivière-des-Prairies–Pointe-aux-Trembles borough, given TC Transcontinental’s significant presence in the East end of Montreal. Click here to find out more information. TC Transcontiental Packaging Wins FTA Innovations in Sustainability Award TC Transcontinental Packaging was named the Winner for Innovations in Sustainability in this year’s Flexographic Technical Association (FTA) Sustainability Excellence Award competition for its IntegrititeTM post-consumer recycled collation shrink film. This sustainable film containing 33% post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR) uses less fossil fuel and water than packaging made from virgin resin and lowers greenhouse gas emissions, because using PCR resin displaces virgin petrochemical-based resins. Click here to learn more about this recognition. Our Recycling Group: an Innovative Achievement! In April, at the CRE-Montreal Gala, TC Transcontinental won the "Innovative Achievement" award in the Medium and Large Businesses category for the creation of the Recycling Group. This annual gala of the Conseil régional de l'environnement de Montréal honors the innovative initiatives of organizations committed to contributing to the city’s sustainable development. After the virtual gathering, the Transcontinental Recyclage Montreal team proudly put their hands on the Gemmes trophy, underlining this victory. Legend: Sylvain Levert, Senior Vice President, Recycling Group, Fabrice Laberge, Director of Research and Development, Recycling Technologies, and Laurent Giérula, Production Manager, receiving the Gemmes trophy. On Novae’s 2021 list of best impactful innovations of the year TC Transcontinental is listed on Novae’s 2021 list of best impactfu l innovations of the year with the creation and integration of the Recycling Group into its recycling operations. The goal of this group is to transform flexible plastics recovered from recycling centers and other commercial, industrial and agricultural sources into plastic pellets that will then enter the corporation’s packaging production line. See the list of winners here (french only). TC Transcontinental among the 71 leading gender diversity champions in Canada TC Transcontinental has earned a spot on The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business second-annual, Women Lead Here honourees list, a benchmark of best-in-class executive gender diversity in corporate Canada. The Globe and Mail is Canada’s leading daily newspaper while the Report on Business is its monthly business magazine. The 2021 Women Lead Here list results from a journalistic analysis of the 500 largest publicly traded Canadian companies, evaluating the ratio of female executives in the top three leadership tiers (SVPs and above). See the list of winners here. TC Transcontinental Packaging Wins FPA Sustainability Award for its Compostable Coffee Packaging TC Transcontinental Packaging is thrilled to announce that it has won the Gold Award for Sustainability in the 2021 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Competition for the Maxwell House Canada 100% compostable coffee pod lidding and mother bag films. These breakthrough sustainable films are certified BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) industrial compostable which leaves zero waste, provides an environmentally friendly solution to the popular single serve pod, and responds to the demand for sustainable packaging without sacrificing product freshness, performance and convenience. Click here to find out more information. The Advanced Coatings team in Wrexham, UK donates laptops to a local high school Transcontinental Advanced Coatings donated laptops to Darland High School, located in Wrexham, UK, to help families support their children in their learning journey. After supporting several local organizations over the past few years, this initiative from the Advanced Coatings team is part of our vision of commitment to the communities in which we operate. Legend: Chris Reed vice president of global operations at Transcontinental Advanced Coatings and Darland High School headteacher Joanne Lee. Source: The Leader UK One of the top 50 Corporate Citizens in Corporate Knights' 2021 World’s 100 Most Sustainable Corporations Rankings TC Transcontinental is proud to be named one of the world's 100 most sustainable corporations, ranking 45th on Corporate Knights' famous list of the World’s 100 Most Sustainable Corporations for 2021, in addition to coming 2nd in the packaging sector. According to Corporate Knights, TC Transcontinental is among the top 50 corporate citizens, due to its high score in clean investments, paid sick leave, and diversity among executive and board members. A customized backdrop for a charity For the Jennifer Ashleigh Children's Charity's first virtual fundraiser, the Transcontinental Artisan Complete team donated a personalized backdrop for the event. The Jennifer Ashleigh Children's Charity, which operates in the province of Ontario, Canada, provides financial support to children with serious illnesses and their low-income families. This year, the event raised enough funds to help more than 125 seriously ill children and their families. 2020 Six key players partner to create a circular economy for plastics TC Transcontinental and five leading companies in Canada are joining forces to create the Circular Plastics Taskforce (Groupe d’action plastiques circulaires, or GAPC) to develop a circular economy for plastics, in partnership with the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) and with support from Environment and Climate Change Canada. Click here to find out more information. Creation of a Recycling Group In February 2020, TC Transcontinental (TSX: TCL.A TCL.B) announces the creation of a Recycling Group within TC Transcontinental Packaging. In 2020, this group will start purchasing equipment for converting flexible plastics recovered from sorting facilities and other commercial, industrial and agricultural sources into recycled plastic granules. It will also be on the lookout for potential acquisitions of companies in this sector. In June 2020, the Corporation acquired the assets of Enviroplast Inc., a company dedicated to recycling flexible plastics in the province of Québec. Click here to find out more information. Clear and secure communication in stores While COVID-19 continues to challenge all businesses on a daily basis, there has also been an amazing sense of community and collaboration with clients, vendors, partners and employees to ensure everyone stays safe and healthy. Our teams are working hard to protect the front-line staff of essential service retailers that remain open during these times. Our service offering to retailers includes point-of-sale materials that help them communicate public health guidelines to their customers, such as recommended behaviours or hygiene measures in the store to respect, for example, recommended physical distance. Publisac, a powerful communication tool During the month of April, TC Transcontinental wanted to contribute in its own way to the Québec government’s communication effort to raise public awareness around the measures that must be maintained to stop the spread of COVID-19. Thanks to the development of a new visual for the Publisac bag, the four main government directives to be adopted were shared to 3 million households across the province of Québec. Also, to remind Quebecers that better days are coming soon, a second visual was developed with the popular rainbow symbol. A donation was also given to charitable organization La Cantine pour tous in order to contribute to the food security of citizens. Both visuals were printed on recycled plastic. The Publisac remains 100% recyclable as well as being made of 100% recycled plastic! The safety of our employees: our top priority TC Transcontinental has a number of manufacturing capabilities in both its printing and packaging sectors that enable it to produce face shields for all its employees working in a plant. Since the beginning of this global health pandemic, the health and safety of our employees and that of their families has been our top priority. We rapidly implemented several security measures in our plants in order to comply with the directives issued by the governments and that will be maintained for the foreseeable future. Face shields for La Maison du Père TC Transcontinental is proud to be able to use its manufacturing capabilities to ensure the health and safety of its teams and produce face shields made of 100% recyclable plastic. Our production allowed us to donate 200 face shields to La Maison du Père for their residents, employees and volunteers to support them in their mission to the most vulnerable populations. Each week, we will continue to provide them with materials to meet their needs. A major donation to the Emergency Fund of Centraide of Greater Montreal Together we will help vulnerable people get through the COVID-19 crisis. The priority for Centraide of Greater Montreal is to ensure food security for everyone. To ensure that no one is in a situation of food insecurity, all agencies are working very hard to redefine their activities to meet needs. In addition to TC Transcontinental’s annual commitment towards Centraide of Greater Montreal, the Marcoux family responded to Centraide’s call for generosity and support in order to put in place exceptional measures related to the COVID-19 challenges. The family has offered a major donation to the Emergency Fund to contribute to the collective effort and help get through this crisis. Giving as a Thank you The new COVID-19 reality gives rise to inspiring acts of kindness. Rob Rathke, Director, Sales and Marketing at Transcontinental Premedia, is showing his support to frontline healthcare workers by distributing gift bags to five hospitals in the Greater Toronto Area! Since the end of March, Rob has packaged, sorted and distributed over 250 gift bags containing hand lotion, organic disinfectant products and snacks. He ensured that all safety precautions were taken when the bags were delivered to the health facilities. Rob received such a positive response that he is currently getting ready to distribute 1,000 more bags. The gifts come from his network, our current and potential clients as well as some providers. 750 masks for a local hospital in Toronto Six women from Transcontinental Artisan Complete donated approximately 100 hours of their time to sew 750 homemade cloth masks which were donated to the Garron Hospital in Toronto. These remarkable ladies wanted to do their part in keeping their community safe. We salute their hard work and generosity. We are very proud to have them as part of TC Transcontinental family! One of Canada’s Top 10 Corporate Citizens in Corporate Knights’ 2020 Best 50 Ranking We are proud to be named once again as one of Canada’s 50 best corporate citizens, placed in 10th position in the renowned Corporate Knights’ 2020 Best 50 Ranking. According to Corporate Knights, TC Transcontinental ranks among the Top 10, overall thanks namely to its high clean revenue score, strong gender diversity at the board and executive levels, its solid safety record, as well as its strong energy and water productivity. Click here to find out more information. Our commitment towards the United Nations Global Compact In 2020, we joined the United Nations Global Compact, a voluntary initiative through which signatory companies commit to aligning their approach to social responsibility with universal principles relating to human rights, labour standards and environmental protection. Of the international sustainable development goals defined by the Global Compact, we have selected 7 goals that are fully aligned with the targets of our three-year Acting Together plan and our policies: Winner of the Mercure award for “Innovative Manufacturers – Large Business” On September 28, 2020, we won the Mercure award in the "Innovative Manufacturers – Large Business" category, in recognition of innovation in the Corporation’s Packaging Sector to promote sustainability and a circular economy. The prestigious Mercuriades business competition is held by the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (FCCQ). The Mercure for "Innovative Manufacturers", presented by Investissement Québec, is awarded to a company that exemplifies strategic vision and capacity for technological innovation to optimize the performance of its products and services. Click here to find out more information. 2019 4th place in Canopy’s 2019 Blueline ranking At TC Transcontinental, we are serious about sustainability, so we are very pleased to be ranked 4th in the 2019 Blueline Ranking of North American printers which profiles the sustainability performance of major players in North America’s printing industry. Canopy’s annual Blueline report ranks companies in the printing industry based on 32 key sustainability criteria highlighting sector leaders. This report is also intended to help consumers identify companies that protect the environment in their production process. TC Transcontinental awarded at the Plastics Industry Leadership Awards On October 2, 2019, TC Transcontinental received an award in the Sustainability category during the CPIA Plastics Industry Leadership Awards evening held in Vaughan, Ontario. This award recognizes the company's contribution to the environment, notably for its commitment to creating a circular economy for plastics and for the launch, in January 2019, of one of the first-in-market 100% recyclable multilayer barrier stand-up pouch in North America. Legend: Magali Depras, Chief Strategy Officer of TC Transcontinental and a member of the CPIA Board of Directors, present to receive the award. Transcontinental Albany We Care Team makes a difference in its community! During the 2019 back-to-school season, employees at Transcontinental Albany in Georgia decided to give back to their community. Through the We Care team, created to provide opportunities for community service, the plant donated a few boxes full of school supplies to Northside Elementary School. Students received backpacks, notebooks, pencils and other items which the employees distributed at the local school. Wishing to further contribute to the success of the youth in its community, the plant also partnered with local radio show host Pastor Yaz Johnson of "Let's Talk Radio" to select other institutions to give back to. Four Boys and Girls Club locations were selected. Transcontinental Albany donated to them supplies such as paper, pencils and electric pencil sharpeners for their after-school programs. Click here to see the related segment on the local news. TC Transcontinental Health, Safety and Community Partner Donation Program Initiated in 2017 by Isabelle Marcoux, Chair of the Board, the TC Transcontinental Health, Safety and Community Partner Donation Program aims to reward excellence in occupational health and safety in the business units by awarding a cash prize which can be donated to a registered charity of their choice. A cash award of $1000 up to $5000 is donated to business units who successfully completed one year or more without a lost-time accident. In this way, not only does the winning business unit implement a safer work environment, but it also invests in the well-being of communities, namely towards aid for the most vulnerable, education and health. Legend: The Montréal Premedia Team gives a check to the Club des petits déjeuners and Transcontinental Capri gives a check to The Gabby’s Girls. TC Transcontinental becomes the first Canadian-based manufacturer to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment On March 14, 2019, TC Transcontinental became the first Canadian-based manufacturer to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s New Plastics Economy Global Commitment. Ever since TC Transcontinental adopted its first environmental policy in 1993, the Corporation has demonstrated proven leadership in conducting its business responsibly. Throughout its transformation and steadfast growth in packaging, TC Transcontinental remains driven by its unwavering commitment towards sustainability. “We want to leave behind the legacy of a responsible corporate citizen, mindful of how today’s decisions will impact our collective tomorrow,” explains François Olivier, TC Transcontinental’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to inspire change by pioneering the development of sustainable products and driving innovation to support our customers in their own sustainability journey. By joining the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s commitment, we are furthering our corporate social responsibility leadership to ensure that plastic is effectively managed from sourcing to end of life.” Click here to find out more information about our commitment. Shining the spotlight on the women of TC Transcontinental! Beyond a question of statistics, a workplace that is focused on gender diversity enables us to live our values of respect, teamwork, performance and innovation. As a reminder, in December 2015, TC Transcontinental adopted a policy on women’s representation to support and promote gender diversity within the company. This policy, which applies to all employees, outlines objectives and the concrete measures that our company commits to taking in this regard, including implementing programs and processes to support a gender-diverse culture and identifying top talent through the Leadership Review process to offer opportunities for high-potential women. We want to underscore the importance of this essential component in any workplace. We are proud of our progress on the gender diversity front and the accomplishments of our women who are continually seeking to surpass themselves. TC Transcontinental Packaging Wins Gold in Sustainability and Packaging Excellence while Grabbing Silver in Technical Innovation As part of the 2019 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards Competition, TC Transcontinental Packaging has won the Gold award for Sustainability for a second year in a row, as well as the Gold award for Packaging Excellence and the Silver award for Technical Innovation for the Harney & Sons Master Tea Blenders pouch. The new flexible loose tea pouch is one of the first-in-market, 100% recyclable, multilayer barrier stand-up pouch. It was designed to meet Harney & Sons’ commitment to sustainability while still protecting the flavor and the freshness of the product. Developed in collaboration with Dow and Charter NEX Films, the Harney & Sons Master Tea Blenders pouch hits all notes: 100% recycle ready for in-store drop off, EVOH barrier for product preservation, seal strength, and durability. Fine tea packaging requires a multilayer, co-extruded package to protect the product’s natural oils that give tea leaves a smooth flavor and finish. EVOH delivers outstanding barrier to gases, organic vapors and moisture, preventing deterioration of the product and extending its shelf life. Click here to learn more about our Awards. Women leaders of TC Transcontinental meet at the second Women@TC event On May 22, 2019, around 120 women leaders from every sector of TC Transcontinental met to attend the second Women@TC conference. The event was sponsored by Isabelle Marcoux, Chair of the Board and François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. The purpose of the event held in Montréal was to share TC Transcontinental’s vision and commitment to Gender Diversity, support the personal and professional development of women leaders and provide the participants with networking opportunities. The activities offered to participants during the event proved to be very rewarding. At the end of the day, the women agreed that they felt privileged to have taken part in the event and proud to work for a company that takes concrete steps to facilitate their professional growth. To find out more about the Company's Diversity Policy, please click here. TC Transcontinental named one of Canada’s Top 10 Corporate Citizens in the prestigious Corporate Knights 2019 Best 50 Ranking Named for the 16th year as one of Canada’s 50 best corporate citizens, TC Transcontinental climbed from the 29th position last year to the 8th position, which attests to the Corporation’s leadership and commitment to social responsibility. According to Corporate Knights, TC Transcontinental ranks among the Top 10 overall thanks namely to high clean revenue score, strong gender diversity at the board and executive levels, solid safety record, as well as strong energy and water productivity. Corporate Knights is a specialized media and research firm. Its annual ranking of corporate sustainability performance is based on key citizenship indicators such as resource, employee, financial management, clean revenue and supplier performance. Click here to learn more. TC Transcontinental Packaging Steals the Show for Sustainable Packaging at the 2019 PAC Canadian Leadership Awards TC Transcontinental Packaging is thrilled to announce that it has won the entire Sustainable Packaging category at the 2019 PAC Canadian Leadership Awards with the Harney & Sons Fine Teas and Les Aliments Jardi 100% recyclable packages with barrier. Once again, TC Transcontinental Packaging leads the way in sustainability and demonstrates its commitment to creating innovative eco-responsible solutions and packaging that sustains the earth. These awards fully support our pledge for 100% of our plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Click here to learn more about our Awards. 2018 The Rémi Marcoux Entrepreneurial Track is a launch pad for future entrepreneurs! Launched in November 2013, the Rémi Marcoux Entrepreneurial Track is a six-month academic program offered to students of HEC Montréal, Polytechnique Montréal and Université de Montréal. This program allows participants to explore their inner entrepreneur and develop a business idea. Upon completion of the track, participants have their own start-up business and are ready to take off. Since its launch, the Track has welcomed four cohorts, gathering a total of 43 students – 14 in 2017 – and enabled the completion of 35 projects. The young companies born out of it helped create 67 jobs in 2014. The Track represents a sustainable experience for the large majority of its participants given that 83.7% of them are still entrepreneurs. The Track is proud to have recently been accepted to Amazon Activate, a U.S. program offering a full range of online services for young entrepreneurs. These services include web hosting, artificial intelligence, virtual reality and game development, among other things. Track participants thus benefit from advanced technology services worth US$5,000 for a period of two years. For these young entrepreneurs preparing to launch, this support is definitely valuable. For entrepreneurial spirits The Rémi Marcoux Entrepreneurial Track is targeted to students who would like to start a business, take over a business to bring innovation and creativity, ensure succession or create a spin-off for a family business. To learn more about the Rémi Marcoux Entrepreneurial Track, visit the program’s website (French only). Congratulations to Transcontinental Ross-Ellis, recipient of a 2018 MultiPrévention award Transcontinental Ross-Ellis was rewarded with a MultiPrévention award by the Association paritaire pour la santé et la sécurité du travail, which promotes workplace health and safety, and of which TC Transcontinental is a member. The purpose of the MultiPrévention awards is to acknowledge and promote good workplace accident and occupational disease prevention ideas every year. In the Printing Industry and related sectors category, Transcontinental Ross-Ellis set itself apart thanks to a project dealing with the modification of a workstation and work processes, which helped to significantly reduce the risks of musculoskeletal disorders. This award makes Transcontinental Ross-Ellis eligible for the $5,000 Lachance-Morin bursary, awarded for the realization of a workplace health and safety project. The awards were officially presented to the winning companies and the winner of the bursary revealed at the MultiPrévention general assembly on April 20, 2018. TC Transcontinental employees team up with The Dow Chemical Company for a unique educational session In connection to TC Transcontinental’s ongoing commitment as a responsible corporate citizen, The Dow Chemical Company hosted a customized training at their headquarters in Freeport, Texas, for TC Transcontinental Packaging employees from four plants from its network: Transcontinental Robbie, Transcontinental Ultra Flex, Transcontinental Flexstar and Transcontinental Capri. This educational and informative 2-day session delivered by field specialists sharing their expertise with TC Transcontinental’s employees allowed participants to learn more about a variety of topics. The agenda’s valuable content included an introduction into polyethylene and other specialty resins, packaging trends and design, adhesives and lamination, as well as broader discussions on innovation and sustainability. The team also had the privilege of touring Dow’s analytical labs and testing facilities that featured impressive packaging equipment. Passionate Dow trainers kept their audience engaged by also imparting their knowledge on packaging and market trends aligned with TC Transcontinental’s marketing research. The training also included a thought-provoking exposé on Dow’s commitment to sustainability through its RecycleReady technology. TC Transcontinental joins the Jersey Day for Humboldt movement In the wake of the tragic accident involving the Humboldt Broncos Junior Hockey Team from Saskatchewan, TC Transcontinental joined the Jersey Day for Humboldt movement. In a show of solidarity and heartfelt compassion for all the families affected by this tragedy, our employees participated by wearing a hockey jersey to work on Thursday, April 12. See our album photo on Facebook for pictures of the day. Workplace health, safety and wellness: everyone’s responsibility! On January 29 and February 5, the members of the workplace Health, Safety and Wellness committee at the Saint-Hyacinthe plant organized a workplace health, safety and wellness event for all employees. The aim of the event was to share a wide range of information and put the focus on awareness. Employees were also able to take part in four workshops based on themes such as hand injuries, hearing protection, civility and WHMIS 2015 (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System). “The participants really appreciated these days, and they shared their positive feedback on the evaluation questionnaire,” said Pierre Desautels, HSW Coordinator. “The members of the workplace Health, Safety and Wellness committee and the supervisors who organized and ran the workshops worked hard to create a quality event for their colleagues. And they succeeded in their mission.” Innovation at its best for Transcontinental Saint-Hyacinthe: Industry 4.0 With its cutting-edge automation project, Transcontinental Saint-Hyacinthe stood out as a high-performing and strategic plant at the Salon des Meilleures Pratiques d’Affaires (Best Business Practices Show) organized by the Mouvement québécois de la qualité. Participating for the first time in the event held at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, with 3,000 visitors in attendance, TC Transcontinental Printing proudly took its place in Pavillon 4.0, alongside other organizations who are shifting toward the 4th industrial revolution, commonly referred to as “Industry 4.0” or “Smart Factory”. Having diligently worked on executing this automation, it is with pride and enthusiasm that the team on site explained the development, objectives, challenges, change management, work flow and results. The project was nominated for the Jury Favourite award. Ecodesign: Gold for our compostable peanut bag TC Transcontinental Packaging distinguished itself at the 2018 Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards taking the Gold in the Sustainability category for its compostable peanut bag. This prestigious acknowledgment from the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) highlighted the colossal work done by our teams at Transcontinental Ultra Flex in Brooklyn, in the United States, in order to design a highly innovative bag made from certified compostable materials. This success was made possible thanks to the collaboration of the customer and many partners, and demonstrates a joint commitment to ecodesign across the entire supply chain. This progress helps support the green initiatives of sports organizations by diverting a residual material commonly found in stadiums and arenas away from landfills. More electric charging stations In Canada, it is well known that about a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions originate from the transportation sector. To resolve this situation, vehicle electrification has been identified as a key solution. This is why TC Transcontinental has put in place a program for the installation of electric charging stations in its business units, enabling its employees with an electric or hybrid vehicle to charge it during work hours. Over the past two years, three projects have already been completed at Transcontinental Ross-Ellis, Transcontinental Vaughan and at our offices in Rivière-des-Prairies. This program notably enables us to highlight the efforts of our employees who have made a decision that is respectful of the environment in using a hybrid or electric car, in addition to inspiring their colleagues to do the same. Combining plant safety and generosity in the community Legend: The Montréal Premedia Team gives a check to the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation and Transcontinental Halifax gives a check to Phoenix Youth Programs TC Transcontinental’s Health, Safety and Community Partner Program was launched in 2017. A year later, a sum of $33,000 has been distributed to 11 of our business units. On an annual basis, the program effectively rewards business units in the Printing Sector and the Packaging Sector that had one or more years without a lost time accident by providing them with a monetary sum of $1,000 to $5,000 to be donated to the registered charitable organization of their choice. One of the objectives is to help employees support social causes that are relevant to them and thus become ambassadors for TC Transcontinental in the local communities. In this way, not only does the winning business unit implement a safer work environment, but it also invests in the well-being of communities, namely towards aid for the most vulnerable, education and health. Deep community engagement Isabelle Marcoux, our Chair of the Board, and François Olivier, our President and Chief Executive Officer, demonstrate a deep and steadfast community engagement, both in their personal and professional lives. Portage, a non-profit organization long supported by our executives and by TC Transcontinental, honoured this unwavering commitment at the 15th edition of the Soirée des Grands Philanthropes which gathered 750 guests in Montréal on September 20. This event in the spirit of generosity and pride, helped raise a net amount of over $1,250,000 for Portage, thanks in part to our many partners to whom we are grateful for their invaluable contribution. Air quality: installation of an oxidizer at Transcontinental Flexstar In 2018, a major project was rolled-out at our Transcontinental Flexstar plant, located in Richmond, British Columbia, in order to reduce our impact on air quality. The ink drying process, whether for printing on paper or plastic, emits volatile organic compounds (VOCs) known for potentially contributing to smog creation. We are therefore continually looking to limit and control these emissions, both at the source through the choice of new products and by capturing press emissions and burning them in oxidizers. Transcontinental Flexstar opted for the latter solution as a regenerative thermal oxidizer was installed to ensure the destruction of VOCs, thereby reducing this plant’s emissions by more than 90%. TC Transcontinental thus became a pioneer in the packaging industry in Metro Vancouver in terms of environmental performance. Solidarity through the storm We understand that climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of natural disasters. In this respect, several TC Transcontinental Packaging sites in southeastern United States were fully impacted or under threat in 2018. In such cases, we witnessed exceptional shows of solidarity, led by totally committed managers, with the constant support of TC Transcontinental’s management. For example, employees at Transcontinental Griffin in Georgia quickly mobilized themselves to deliver basic emergency supplies (water, food, etc.) to colleagues at our Albany plant who went through a difficult time during Hurricane Michael. Transcontinental Thomasville followed suit by organizing a fundraiser to collect donations, water and cleaning products that were in turn sent to employees in Albany. These inter-plant expressions of solidarity are deeply inspiring and attest to the company’s values. Transcontinental Saint-Hyacinthe focuses on knowledge Transcontinental Saint-Hyacinthe has launched two exciting knowledge-based initiatives. In order to facilitate access to advancement opportunities, the plant has started a cohort dedicated to obtaining an equivalence of secondary 5 studies for its employees who do not have their secondary school diploma. 10 employees have signed up to this first group. With each cohort spread over 16 weeks, classes are taught by a school board teacher once a week outside of employee working hours. At the end of the session, employees must pass the ministry exams to obtain their equivalence. This is an interesting program for those who wish to pursue positions higher up the career ladder but do not have the required educational qualifications. Staying with the theme of knowledge, the Saint-Hyacinthe plant also entered into a partnership with a secondary school in the region to welcome an intern from October 2018 to May 2019. The internship, which consists of two days per week, will allow the student to explore a career and get a sense of the job opportunities that would be available in this field upon completion of his or her studies. It’s also an effective way to shine a light on our company among the youth in the communities in which we operate. 2017 An excellent campaign for Centraide of Greater Montreal TC Transcontinental maintains its unwavering commitment to Centraide of Greater Montreal, a cause particularly close to our heart for more than 30 years. In 2017, we donated $420,000 on behalf of TC Transcontinental and its employees. We sincerely thank our people for their great generosity. Isabelle Marcoux, Chair of the Board of Transcontinental Inc., is actively involved with Centraide of Greater Montreal. Starting in 2018, she will serve as Chair of the Major Donors’ Circle. In 2016, she co-chaired the Centraide of Greater Montreal campaign, one of the largest annual fund drives to break the cycle of poverty and social exclusion in a lasting way. 4th place in Canopy’s 2017 Blueline ranking TC Transcontinental distinguished itself by maintaining its 4th position in Canopy’s Blueline ranking which profiles the sustainability performance of major players in North America’s printing industry. Canopy’s annual Blueline report ranks companies in the printing industry based on 32 key sustainability criteria highlighting sector leaders. This report is also intended to help consumers identify companies that protect the environment in their production process. 22nd position in the prestigious Corporate Knights 2017 ranking of the 50 most responsible corporate citizens in Canada The company rose to the challenge once again, earning a place in the prestigious Corporate Knights ranking of the 50 most responsible corporate citizens in Canada for the 14th time. TC Transcontinental climbed in the ranking in 2017, moving from 40th position in 2016 to 22nd in 2017. The Corporate Knights ranking measures social and environmental performance as well as governance of Canadian companies. We are convinced that the processes that we put forth are effective and that our diligent efforts to remain a strong, responsible corporate citizen enable us to distinguish ourselves in the industry. We remain focused on implementing our 2016-2018 Corporate Social Responsibility Plan in order to continue driving sustainable results. Our employees support the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation TC Transcontinental teams outdid themselves at the CHU Sainte-Justine’s 2017 Winter Triathlon by placing first in the “mixed competitive team” category and sixth in the “men’s participative team” category. The charitable sports challenge, which was held at Maisonneuve Park in Montréal, brought together more than 200 participants eager to help sick children. A charitable fundraiser was organized within the company in conjunction with the sports challenge. This year, through the generosity of some 100 donors, we donated close to $11,000 to the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation. The funds raised will be used to fund the future CHU Sainte-Justine Centre of Excellence in Neonatal Intensive Care. In six years of participation in the Winter Triathlon, TC Transcontinental and its employees have donated $77,500 to the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation. Women@TC: A unifying and enriching event In order to achieve our objective of progressively moving to a more balanced gender representation in the workforce, we have adopted a gender diversity strategy that was deployed through numerous initiatives in 2017. Among them, we note the Women@TC event held in February, gathering over a hundred women leaders from all sectors of the organization, both from Canada and the United States. Managers were offered training on unconscious bias, and also had the opportunity to attend an enriching panel and conferences, to network and to further their development. As a follow-up to this event and to extend its benefits, we asked participants to support another woman in the organization by providing her with professional advice as part of the “Support for Success – Women@TC” program. 2016 Supporting youth development Our Transcontinental Capri packaging plant, based in Clinton, Missouri, decided to sponsor a school as part of its Building Sponsors program. At various times throughout the school year, the plant’s employees are invited to help out at the school such as by reading to young people, serving as mentors or tutors, lending a hand to teachers during school events, or providing the school with toiletries, school supplies or meals. Robbie: Winner of Best Workplace in the Americas according to the Printing Industries of America (PIA) association Our Transcontinental Robbie packaging plant, located in Lenexa, Kansas, received the 2016 “Best of the Best” Workplace in Americas award from PIA, recognizing outstanding human relations efforts that contribute to a successful workplace. These awards honour printing and graphic arts companies that foster high quality work environments for their employees. The "Best of the Best" award underscores Transcontinental Robbie’s serious commitment to its employees by investing in their work environment and their development. A committee of human resources professionals evaluated submissions based on eight criteria: management practices, work environment, training and development, financial security, workplace health and safety, work-life balance, recognition and rewards, and health and wellness programs. Energy efficiency initiatives The ingenuity of our employees has once again been recognized as the Ministère de l’Énergie et des Ressources naturelles—Québec’s department of energy and natural resources—granted us two major subsidies in 2016 to support energy efficiency projects. Transcontinental Interglobe, in Beauceville, received $340,175 in financial aid while Transcontinental Saint-Hyacinthe received a grant of $387,324 to carry out an energy recovery project. By installing a heat exchanger at the outlet of the thermal incinerator, these plants utilize the recovered heat to heat their building and to supply the presses’ dryers with preheated air, thereby reducing their natural gas consumption. On an annual basis, this amounts to total potential natural gas savings of 1,330,000 m3, or $375,000, and thus a reduction of 2,582 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to some 522 fewer light vehicles on the roads every year. 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