The promise of Canada, carried forward.
The Canadian Dream® is a national mission to safeguard the promise of this country: that anyone, anywhere in Canada, can build a meaningful life and leave the next generation better off.
Licensing · Registered trademark TMA1384228
License The Canadian Dream®
Align your marketing, services and campaigns with a mark Canadians recognize. Every licence is reviewed so the name keeps its standard.
Realtors and brokerages
Mortgage and financial advisors
Banks and credit unions
Immigration and settlement firms
Law and professional firms
Agencies and brand campaigns
Retail and consumer brands
Schools and nonprofits
Community
For schools, registered charities and non-commercial community programs.
You get
Use of the name for approved non-commercial programs and events
No fee · approval required
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Starter
For one independent professional or small business.
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Non-exclusive right to use the mark in your advertising, website, social and signage across Canada
Brand usage guide
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Annual licence fee
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Professional
For firms and brokerages with multiple agents or offices.
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Everything in Starter for your whole team
Co-branded campaign assets
A listing as an official licensed partner on this site
Annual licence fee
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Enterprise / Campaign
For banks, national brands and media campaigns.
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National campaign rights
Optional category exclusivity
Custom terms
Custom quote
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Product licence
For makers who want the mark on their goods.
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Rights for approved products
Artwork approval
Quarterly reporting
Royalty with annual minimum
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Fees are confirmed on approval. Licences are granted by application.
How it works
Apply
Tell us about your organization and intended use.
Approve
We confirm your plans meet our brand standards.
Launch
Sign the agreement, then receive your assets and partner badge.
All licences are subject to approval and a written licence agreement.
Already using the name?
The Canadian Dream® is a registered trademark (TMA1384228). Any commercial use of the name, including advertising, websites, signage, products and events, requires a licence. If your organization already uses it, contact us to bring that use under licence.
Contact us about existing use
What we offer
Licensing
Five tiers for businesses, programs and campaigns, from community programs to national campaigns.
See licence tiers
Merchandise
Pins, stickers, tees, hoodies, posters and journals bearing the mark, printed on demand and shipped direct.
Shop
Programs for kids and families
Resources that help young people set goals and work toward them.
See resources
Dream Capture
Record an ambition, connect with Canadians who share it, and find the services to achieve it.
Join early access
Partnerships
Co-branded campaigns, sponsorships and collaborations with brands, schools and creators.
Partner with us
Why it matters
A promise worth safeguarding.
Opportunity and belonging are not guaranteed. They are built and renewed over time. Our work gives that promise a name, a standard and a home, so Canadians in every province and territory, from every background and every generation, can see what is possible and pursue it.
Non-partisan and open to every Canadian.
Opportunity
Encouraging youth ambition, skills and entrepreneurship.
Financial wellbeing
Supporting financial literacy and long-term security for families.
Belonging
A place in the community for people of every background.
Local enterprise
Thriving local businesses in towns and cities across the country.
Dream Board
Canadians who dreamed big.
Canadians, past and present, from every background and every corner of the country, whose dreams moved Canada forward.
Sport Terry Fox Ran 5,373 km across Canada on one leg in his 1980 Marathon of Hope for cancer research. Public Life Kim Campbell First woman to serve as Prime Minister of Canada, in 1993. Music Drake Grammy-winning Toronto artist, one of the most-streamed musicians in the world. Community & Advocacy Viola Desmond Challenged segregation in Nova Scotia in 1946; honoured on the $10 bill. Science & Innovation Chris Hadfield First Canadian to command the International Space Station, in 2013. Music Céline Dion From Charlemagne, Quebec; one of the best-selling singers of all time. Sport Shai Gilgeous-Alexander From Hamilton, Ontario; NBA Most Valuable Player and champion in 2025. Public Life Mary Simon First Indigenous Governor General of Canada, installed in 2021. Science & Innovation Alexander Graham Bell Developed the telephone and tested it in Brantford, Ontario, in 1876. Music Joni Mitchell From Fort Macleod, Alberta; songwriter of Blue and "Both Sides Now". Arts & Letters Rupi Kaur Brampton poet whose milk and honey became a worldwide bestseller. Business & Entrepreneurship Timothy Eaton Irish immigrant who opened a Toronto dry goods store in 1869 and built Eaton's, with a catalogue that reached every corner of Canada. Community & Advocacy Josiah Henson Escaped slavery to Upper Canada in 1830 and founded the Dawn Settlement near Dresden, Ontario. Sport Tom Longboat Onondaga runner who won the 1907 Boston Marathon in record time. Public Life Michaëlle Jean Haitian-born journalist who became Canada's first Black Governor General, in 2005. Film & Screen Sandra Oh Ottawa-raised actor; first performer of Asian descent nominated for the Emmy for lead actress in a drama. Sport Donovan Bailey Jamaica-born sprinter who won the 1996 Olympic 100 m in world-record time. Science & Innovation Elijah McCoy Born in Colchester, Ontario; patented automatic lubricators for steam engines, more than 50 patents in all. Arts & Letters Esi Edugyan Calgary-born novelist; two-time Giller Prize winner. Sport Hayley Wickenheiser Four Olympic gold medals in women's hockey. Film & Screen Keanu Reeves Raised in Toronto; star of The Matrix and John Wick. Science & Innovation Geoffrey Hinton University of Toronto pioneer of neural networks; Nobel Prize in Physics, 2024. Arts & Letters Kenojuak Ashevak Inuit artist from Kinngait whose The Enchanted Owl became a national icon. Music Susan Aglukark Inuk singer-songwriter from Arviat, Nunavut; first Inuk artist to win a Juno. Sport Ferguson Jenkins From Chatham, Ontario; first Canadian elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Public Life Lincoln Alexander First Black member of Parliament, elected in 1968, and later Ontario's lieutenant governor. Community & Advocacy Murray Sinclair Anishinaabe judge who chaired the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its 94 Calls to Action. Science & Innovation Frances Kelsey From Cobble Hill, B.C.; as a drug reviewer she kept thalidomide off the U.S. market in 1960. Arts & Letters Margaret Atwood Author of The Handmaid's Tale; two-time Booker Prize winner. Film & Screen Simu Liu Raised in Mississauga; Marvel's first Asian superhero lead in Shang-Chi. Sport Clara Hughes Six Olympic medals across cycling and speed skating, Summer and Winter. Science & Innovation Frederick Banting Co-discovered insulin at the University of Toronto in 1921; Nobel Prize in 1923. Music Alanis Morissette Ottawa-born singer whose Jagged Little Pill is one of the best-selling albums ever. Sport Christine Sinclair All-time leading international goal scorer in soccer, with 190 goals. Science & Innovation James Gosling Calgary-born computer scientist who created the Java programming language. Music Leonard Cohen Poet and songwriter of "Hallelujah" and "Suzanne". Sport Tessa Virtue Ice dancer from London, Ontario; five Olympic medals with partner Scott Moir. Science & Innovation Roberta Bondar First Canadian woman in space, aboard Discovery in 1992. Film & Screen Eugene Levy Hamilton-born co-creator and star of Schitt's Creek, a record Emmy sweep in 2020. Sport Carey Price Goaltender from the Ulkatcho First Nation; won the Hart and Vezina trophies in 2015. Film & Screen Deepa Mehta Toronto filmmaker whose Water earned an Academy Award nomination. Business & Entrepreneurship Michele Romanow Serial entrepreneur from Regina who co-founded Clearco and became the youngest Dragon on Dragons' Den. Community & Advocacy Mary Ann Shadd First Black woman in North America to publish a newspaper, The Provincial Freeman. Business & Entrepreneurship Tobi Lütke Moved to Canada and founded Shopify in Ottawa, powering millions of online stores. Sport Chantal Petitclerc Wheelchair racer with 14 Paralympic gold medals. Arts & Letters Lucy Maud Montgomery Wrote Anne of Green Gables (1908), read in dozens of languages. Community & Advocacy Roméo Dallaire Commanded UN peacekeepers in Rwanda in 1994 and campaigns to end the use of child soldiers. Music The Weeknd Toronto artist whose "Blinding Lights" topped Billboard's all-time Hot 100. Business & Entrepreneurship Arlene Dickinson Immigrant entrepreneur who built Venture Communications in Calgary; longtime Dragons' Den investor. Community & Advocacy Rick Hansen Wheeled 40,000 km through 34 countries in his Man in Motion World Tour. Arts & Letters Maud Lewis Nova Scotia folk painter whose tiny painted house now stands in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. Science & Innovation Elsie MacGill First woman in Canada to earn an electrical engineering degree; led production of Hawker Hurricane fighters. Film & Screen Jim Carrey Newmarket-born comic actor of The Truman Show and Ace Ventura. Sport Andre De Grasse Olympic 200 m gold medallist at Tokyo 2020. Arts & Letters Kim Thúy Came to Quebec as a refugee at 10; her novel Ru won a Governor General's Award. Film & Screen Alanis Obomsawin Abenaki filmmaker with more than 50 documentaries at the National Film Board. Community & Advocacy Thérèse Casgrain Led the campaign that won Quebec women the right to vote in 1940. Science & Innovation Arthur McDonald Nobel Prize in Physics, 2015, for neutrino research at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. Film & Screen Michael J. Fox Edmonton-born star of Back to the Future and a leading voice for Parkinson's research. Sport Marie-Philip Poulin Hockey captain who scored the winning goal in three Olympic finals. Arts & Letters E. Pauline Johnson Mohawk poet and performer who toured her work across Canada and abroad. Music Justin Bieber From Stratford, Ontario; discovered on YouTube and became a global star. Sport Sidney Crosby From Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia; three Stanley Cups and two Olympic gold medals. Public Life Beverley McLachlin First woman to serve as Chief Justice of Canada, from 2000 to 2017. Science & Innovation Donna Strickland Nobel Prize in Physics, 2018, for laser research done in Canada. Sport Herb Carnegie Toronto hockey star kept out of the NHL by racism, who went on to found the Future Aces youth program. Music Oscar Peterson Montreal-born jazz pianist; eight Grammy Awards. Film & Screen Lilly Singh Scarborough creator who built a global YouTube audience and hosted her own NBC late-night show. Arts & Letters Marshall McLuhan Edmonton-born thinker who coined "the medium is the message". Science & Innovation Joseph-Armand Bombardier Invented tracked snow vehicles and the Ski-Doo in Valcourt, Quebec. Music Jessie Reyez Toronto singer-songwriter, daughter of Colombian immigrants; Juno Award winner. Business & Entrepreneurship Bruce Poon Tip Trinidad-born founder who started G Adventures in Toronto in 1990 with a credit card and a dream of small-group travel. Sport Bianca Andreescu Won the 2019 US Open, Canada's first Grand Slam singles title. Arts & Letters Douglas Cardinal Architect of the Canadian Museum of History, known for flowing, organic forms. Music Gord Downie Frontman of The Tragically Hip, voice of a generation of Canadian rock. Public Life Adrienne Clarkson Arrived as a refugee from Hong Kong and became Governor General in 1999. Arts & Letters Emily Carr Painter and writer of the West Coast forests. Film & Screen James Cameron From Kapuskasing, Ontario; directed Titanic and Avatar. Sport Steve Nash Raised in Victoria, B.C.; two-time NBA Most Valuable Player. Public Life Jean Augustine Grenada-born; first Black woman elected to the House of Commons, and the force behind Black History Month in Canada. Music Shania Twain From Timmins, Ontario; Come On Over is the best-selling album by a woman in country music. Arts & Letters Michael Ondaatje Sri Lanka-born novelist of The English Patient; Booker Prize, 1992. Business & Entrepreneurship Mike Lazaridis Co-founded Research In Motion in Waterloo and created the BlackBerry. Music Jully Black Toronto R&B singer and Juno winner, known as Canada's Queen of R&B. Music Robbie Robertson Toronto-born guitarist and songwriter of The Band, of Mohawk and Cayuga heritage. Film & Screen Denis Villeneuve Quebec director of Arrival and Dune. Business & Entrepreneurship Manjit Minhas Calgary entrepreneur who co-founded Minhas Craft Brewery while still a university student and became a Dragons' Den investor. Sport Summer McIntosh Toronto swimmer who won three Olympic gold medals at Paris 2024. Science & Innovation Charles Best Co-discovered insulin with Frederick Banting in 1921 as a University of Toronto student. Community & Advocacy Sheila Watt-Cloutier Inuk advocate from Kuujjuaq who linked climate change to human rights; Nobel Peace Prize nominee, 2007. Sport Maurice Richard First NHL player to score 50 goals in 50 games, in 1944–45. Sport Waneek Horn-Miller Mohawk athlete from Kahnawake who co-captained Canada's water polo team at the 2000 Olympics. Business & Entrepreneurship Stewart Butterfield Born in Lund, B.C.; co-founded Flickr and Slack. Music Tanya Tagaq Inuk throat singer from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut; Polaris Music Prize, 2014. Film & Screen Ryan Reynolds Vancouver-born actor and entrepreneur, star of Deadpool. Public Life Agnes Macphail First woman elected to the House of Commons, in 1921. Sport Willie O'Ree From Fredericton; broke the NHL's colour barrier in 1958. Arts & Letters Robert Munsch Children's author of Love You Forever and The Paper Bag Princess. Sport James Naismith Born in Almonte, Ontario; invented basketball in 1891. Film & Screen Russell Peters Brampton-raised comedian who sells out arenas around the world.
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Dream Board
Canadians, past and present, from every background and every corner of the country, whose dreams moved Canada forward. Hover to enlarge, tap to read their story.
All
Sport
Music
Film & Screen
Arts & Letters
Public Life
Science & Innovation
Business & Entrepreneurship
Community & Advocacy
Showing the top 100 of 139.
Terry Fox Kim Campbell Drake Viola Desmond Chris Hadfield Céline Dion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Mary Simon Alexander Graham Bell Joni Mitchell Rupi Kaur Timothy Eaton Josiah Henson Tom Longboat Michaëlle Jean Sandra Oh Donovan Bailey Elijah McCoy Esi Edugyan Hayley Wickenheiser Keanu Reeves Geoffrey Hinton Kenojuak Ashevak Susan Aglukark Ferguson Jenkins Lincoln Alexander Murray Sinclair Frances Kelsey Margaret Atwood Simu Liu Clara Hughes Frederick Banting Alanis Morissette Christine Sinclair James Gosling Leonard Cohen Tessa Virtue Roberta Bondar Eugene Levy Carey Price Deepa Mehta Michele Romanow Mary Ann Shadd Tobi Lütke Chantal Petitclerc Lucy Maud Montgomery Roméo Dallaire The Weeknd Arlene Dickinson Rick Hansen Maud Lewis Elsie MacGill Jim Carrey Andre De Grasse Kim Thúy Alanis Obomsawin Thérèse Casgrain Arthur McDonald Michael J. Fox Marie-Philip Poulin E. Pauline Johnson Justin Bieber Sidney Crosby Beverley McLachlin Donna Strickland Herb Carnegie Oscar Peterson Lilly Singh Marshall McLuhan Joseph-Armand Bombardier Jessie Reyez Bruce Poon Tip Bianca Andreescu Douglas Cardinal Gord Downie Adrienne Clarkson Emily Carr James Cameron Steve Nash Jean Augustine Shania Twain Michael Ondaatje Mike Lazaridis Jully Black Robbie Robertson Denis Villeneuve Manjit Minhas Summer McIntosh Charles Best Sheila Watt-Cloutier Maurice Richard Waneek Horn-Miller Stewart Butterfield Tanya Tagaq Ryan Reynolds Agnes Macphail Willie O'Ree Robert Munsch James Naismith Russell Peters Larry Walker Bryan Adams John Molson Stanley Grizzle Lester B. Pearson Lap-Chee Tsui Gabrielle Roy Gordon Pinsent Jennifer Jones Daniel Caesar Jim Pattison Samantha Nutt Jeanne Sauvé Anderson Ruffin Abbott Dany Laferrière Mary Pickford Damian Warner Glenn Gould Guy Laliberté Louise Arbour Maud Menten Lawrence Hill Penny Oleksiak Gordon Lightfoot Annette Verschuren Peter Bryce Frank Calder Reginald Fessenden Daphne Odjig Max Ward Wilton Littlechild James Bartleman Sandford Fleming Christopher Pratt Jean Coutu Ellen Fairclough Wilder Penfield Tom Thomson Willard Boyle
Show all 139
Portraits: Wikimedia Commons, used under their stated licences (public domain, CC0, CC BY, CC BY-SA).
Inclusion on the Dream Board honours each person's contribution to Canada and does not imply their endorsement of, or affiliation with, The Canadian Dream®.
Featured for educational purposes. Inclusion does not imply endorsement of, or affiliation with, The Canadian Dream® or any licensee.
What The Canadian Dream® means.
Aim high
Every young person deserves to voice their ambitions and be taken seriously.
Build locally
Lasting success can start in any community, coast to coast to coast.
Lift others
Success here includes your neighbours.
Look ahead
Each generation hands the next more opportunity than it inherited.
Programs for kids, families and teachers
Resources for young Canadians.
Free for schools, libraries and community groups. Ask us for early access.
Goal journals
For kids
A guided journal for setting a goal and tracking the steps to reach it.
Shop the journal
The Canadian Dream® activity sheets
For teachers and classrooms
Classroom activities that help students name a goal and plan how to get there.
Request the sheets
Stories of achievement
From Canadians of every background
Real Canadians whose dreams moved the country forward.
Meet the Dream Board
The first collection
Carry the name, wherever you are.
Every item is printed on demand and shipped directly to you.
The Canadian Dream® Pin
Enamel bar pin bearing the mark.
Sticker pack
Sized for laptops, bottles and lockers.
Tee
An everyday fit, in adult and youth sizes.
Hoodie
A warm layer, made for Canadian winters.
Poster
Asks the question: "What's your dream?"
Journal
Guided pages for kids to plan their goals.
Canvas tote
Natural canvas for everyday carry.
Mug
White ceramic with a burgundy rim.
Dream Capture · The Canadian Dream®
Set a goal, find people who share it, and reach it together.
1
Capture
Record what you're working toward.
2
Connect
Find Canadians who share your goal.
3
Build
Access services and support to get there.
Sample dream Preview
Open a bakery in Halifax
Nova Scotia
AM JT PK LR + 214 Canadians share this goal
Business plan 3 of 5 steps
Sample dream Preview
Become a registered nurse
Manitoba
SN RB KW DF + 1,380 Canadians share this goal
Prerequisites 2 of 4 steps
Sample dream Preview
Buy our first home
Ontario
MO HC TG EV + 2,945 Canadians share this goal
Sample dream Preview
Coach youth hockey in my community
Saskatchewan
BL GS CY WP + 487 Canadians share this goal
Certification 1 of 3 steps
Sample dream Preview
Launch a clothing brand with Indigenous design
British Columbia
NA JQ RM ST + 162 Canadians share this goal
First collection 2 of 5 steps
Sample dream Preview
Get my engineering credentials recognized
Alberta
VK OI AZ FH + 1,104 Canadians share this goal
Every contribution helps bring these programs to more communities, from coast to coast to coast.
Contributions are not charitable donations and are not eligible for tax receipts.
Partnerships and collaborations
Build something for Canadians with us.
We welcome brands, organizations, schools and creators who want to share the promise of Canada. Non-partisan and open to every Canadian.
Brand partnerships
Co-branded campaigns and products with The Canadian Dream®.
Sponsorships
Support the Dream Board, community days and future recognition programs.
Schools and community
Classroom resources, libraries, newcomer and youth programs.
Media and creators
Stories, series and collaborations that celebrate Canadians.
