Welcoming Spirit Awards

2026 Welcoming Spirit Awards

If you were born outside of Canada and now call Unama’ki – Cape Breton home, we invite you to think back to when you first arrived on the Island, whether it was 20 years or 20 days ago. Was there a person or an organization that did something supportive – big or small – that helped you feel a sense of home and belonging here? Nominate them for a 2026 Welcoming Spirit Award!

About the Welcoming Spirit Awards

Launched in 2024 by the Cape Breton Local Immigration Partnership (CBLIP), the annual Welcoming Spirit Awards were developed to celebrate individuals and organizations in Unama’ki – Cape Breton and their contributions to fostering welcoming and inclusive communities for newcomers across the Island.

A selection committee made up of people with lived experience of immigration will review all submissions anonymously and consider how the nominee shows respect and support for immigrants, the impact they’ve had on the person who nominated them, and their welcoming actions, activities, and attitudes. This might include things like helping newcomers adjust to cultural differences, inviting them to community events, or connecting them with local information and support.

Award recipients are not chosen based on how many nominations are made in their name, but rather on the impact of the nomination. Spelling, language, and submission type are not considered during the selection process.

Recipients of the 2026 Welcoming Spirit Awards will be announced at the CBLIP Partner Update event on September 25, 2026, and shared publicly following the event. To nominate an individual who volunteers in the community or an organization, please fill out the form below when it opens on July 13, 2026.

The nomination form for the Welcoming Spirit Awards will open on Monday, July 13, 2026. Nominations will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Sunday, August 16, 2026. Stay tuned!

Previous Welcoming Spirit Awards

The Cape Breton Local Immigration Partnership (CBLIP), administered by the Cape Breton Partnership, was thrilled to present the 2024 Welcoming Spirit Awards at the annual Partner Update Event: New Beginnings – Shared Futures on Friday, November 8, 2024, at the Sarah Denny Cultural Centre in Eskasoni.

The recipients of the 2024 Welcoming Spirit Awards were:

    • Award for an Individual: Rickey Lanting

    • Award for an Organization: L’Arche Cape Breton

Click here to read the news release for further details and photos!

The Cape Breton Local Immigration Partnership (CBLIP), administered by the Cape Breton Partnership, was thrilled to present the 2025 Welcoming Spirit Awards at the annual Partner Update Event: Elisk+Nweyek – Weaving Together – Tisser Ensemble on Friday, December 12, 2025, at the Membertou Trade & Convention Centre.

The recipients of the 2025 Welcoming Spirit Awards were:

    • Award for an Organization: Multicultural Association of Cape Breton (pictured left)
    • Award for an Individual: Shane Condon (pictured right)

Make a Nomination for a 2026 Welcoming Spirit Award

About the Cape Breton Local Immigration Partnership

The Cape Breton Local Immigration Partnership (CBLIP) is a collaborative initiative designed to foster welcoming communities that support the full participation of newcomers in the social, economic, political and cultural life of Unama’ki – Cape Breton. 

The Welcoming Spirit Awards are a project of the CBLIP Community Belonging Working Group, with support from the CBLIP Immigrant Advisory Table. 
To learn more, visit capebretonpartnership.com/cblip.