Excellence Canada


Excellence Canada is a not-for-profit organization that specializes in the training, implementation, and certification of organizational excellence in Canada. Excellence Canada is also the custodian and adjudicator of the Canada Awards for Excellence, under the Patronage of His Excellency, the Right Honourable David Johnston C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D., the Governor General of Canada.

History

Established in 1992 through start-up funding provided by Industry Canada, Excellence Canada was formed as a not-for-profit partnership between the Government and leading private sector organizations to provide strategic focus and direction for Canadian organizations.
In this endeavour, Excellence Canada established the Canadian Framework for Business Excellence in conjunction with Industry Canada and quality experts across Canada.
Recent developments include an Excellence, Innovation and Wellness Standard, a Healthy Workplace Standard and a Mental Health at Work Framework as a part of their Canadian Business Excellence Model. The University of Waterloo was selected to pilot the introduction of Excellence Canada's Excellence, Innovation and Wellness standard during its inception in 2014.

Awards

The Canada Awards for Excellence are internationally recognized as the national quality award for Canada. In its patronage of this award, Excellence Canada is akin to the likes of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, who preside over the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award in the United States, and the :ja:日本科学技術連盟|Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers, who govern the Deming Prize in Japan. Past recipients of the Canada Awards for Excellence include the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board, Ricoh, City of Markham, Region of Peel, Diversicare, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Manulife, Calian, Ceridian, and Sun Life Financial.
In 2009, Michaëlle Jean, then Governor General of Canada, received the Special Recognition of Achievement Award for her dedication to women, children and Aboriginal people.