History

Canada25 was founded in May of 2000 by six young Canadians who were all interested in politics and policy in Canada, but felt they had no way of meaningfully and constructively contributing to these debates. Unable to find a way to be involved in public issues after leaving university, they decided to create an organization that would get young people involved in the public life of their country.

The founders spent several months developing the concept, and formally launched the organization in May 2001 with a forum addressing how Canada could attract and retain talent. This forum brought together an outstanding group of young Canadians from around the world, who deliberated on the roles many levels of Canadian society could play, from the federal government, to arts organizations, to universities to individual Canadians. The results were published in July 2001 report entitled "A New Magnetic North: How Canada can Attract and Retain Young Talent."

In 2002, Canada25 turned its attention to Canadian cities, and how they can better attract talent and retain talent and become engines of economic development. More than 350 talented young Canadians participated in 11 roundtables across North America and 22 delegates were invited to attend the National Forum in Victoria, B.C. The research, debates and discussions are represented in “Building Up”, Canada25’s national report on cities release in December 2002.

Since Canada25's inception, hundreds of young Canadians living around the world have contacted the organization looking to get involved, and the group has focused on expanding its reach and organizational capacity.