Tomlinson Group rAises Thousands each year for Good causes in oTTawa
If you live in Ottawa, you’ve likely seen the Tomlinson Company name on many major construction projects around the city. Founded by Ralph Tomlinson in 1952 with just one single-axle dump truck, what has since grown into the third-generation owned Tomlinson Group of Companies, is one of Eastern Ontario’s largest transportation infrastructure and environmental services providers.
What you may not know is how many thousands of dollars the Tomlinson Group and its employees raise for numerous Ottawa-area charities each year. Spearheaded by President Kevin CinqMars – who recently won the 2016 Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA) Community Leadership Award for his many philanthropic efforts – the Tomlinson Group and its fundraising ‘Tomlinson Red Army’ are constantly donating their time and efforts to make life better for Ottawa residents. “We want to do more for Ottawa and our community than just slow people down in traffic,” quipped Cinq-Mars.
That’s certainly the case! Since 2013, Cinq-Mars’ Red Army of 291 Tomlinson employees and corporate sponsors have cycled to raise $657,750 for the Ottawa Hospital Foundation’s cancer bikeathon known as ‘The RIDE.’ “Kevin captained The Red Army team in our second and most successful year. Since then, we have assisted The RIDE organizers with logistical support including traffic control, site trailers, Comfort Stations, generators, course preparation and lighting,” said Paul McCarney, the company’s VP of Business Development.
On December 1, 2016, a team of Tomlinson employees slept outdoors in freezing temperatures inside a tent at TD Place Stadium. They were part of the Youth Services Bureau’s (YSB) annual SleepOUT for Youth event – to raise money and awareness for youth homelessness – which attracted a record $230,000 for the cause. The Tomlinson team themselves raised $6,946. Kevin Cinq-Mars has been Director of the YSB Foundation Board since 2013.
Cinq-Mars and Tomlinson also helped in the design, building and outfitting of the YSB’s Tamarack Trades Training Centre: a skills education facility for young men in secure detention, at the William E. Hay Centre in Ottawa. “We want to help these young men turn their lives around and have a shot at good jobs when they return to society,” said Cinq-Mars. “The Trades Training Centre makes this possible.”
Although Kevin Cinq-Mars leads Tomlinson in making Ottawa a better place to live, the company’s employees also play an active role with their many community projects. The Tomlinson family play a central part in funding such projects as well, through the Tomlinson Family Foundation (TFF).
For example, the TFF’s first Charity Slo-Pitch Tournament on September 17, 2016 raised $149,926 for local charities thanks to the efforts of its fourteen participating teams and over 60 corporate sponsors. The Tomlinson Family Foundation is also investing $1 million over five projects to fund community park initiatives in Ottawa, such as the outdoor skating rink in Kanata’s Meadowbreeze park, which was the inaugural project.
“Ottawa has been very good to the Tomlinson Group of Companies and its people, and we want to give back in any way we can,” said Kevin Cinq-Mars. “After all, this is our home too.”