Beyond Black squares, businesses that are true allies to the Black community are taking action to support Black-owned businesses. Canadian law firm Cassels is one company that is setting the bar for tangible change and allyship, through its second annual Cassels Black-Owned Small Business Grant.

“The grant is for Black-owned small businesses in the three cities that Cassels operates; Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. Each year they choose a city and this year I and three other businesses received the grant,” says Evelyne Nyairo, founder and CEO.

Thanks in part to a generous $50,000 contributions from Wheaton Precious Metals, the businesses (Leah Higgins of Blush Décor Painting, Greg Carter of Phoenix Metals Ltd, and Fay Bruney of Simply Irie Caribbean Cuisine) received a total of $125,000 in grants and legal assistance from Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP. 

“I love, love, love their approach because it is rooted in meaningful support for Black businesses, without the barriers. The application process was simplified and I was interviewed by [a panel of] 40 diverse board members [virtually]. It felt good to see they are not just throwing money at the situation -- they are working on diversity within the organization,” says Nyairo.

Cassels’ distinctive services are an invaluable resource for Ellie Bianca as it embarks on a national and global expansion. This clean beauty brand is already available at dozens of retail locations across Canada but, as of August 2021, Ellie Bianca is available at The Bay stores in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. Ellie Bianca’s next conquest? Europe because of their innovation and standards in the cosmetic industry and The Middle East as natural skincare increases in popularity.

"Our grant was formed with the goal of making a genuinely positive impact on the Black business community, and provide access to funding that is typically difficult to obtain,” says Danielle Maréchal, Partner at Cassels’ Calgary office and member of the Grant Committee. “Combined with a matching value in legal assistance, our aim is to partner with these four recipients by providing them with the resources they need to achieve their business goals. While it was a significant challenge to select the final recipients, we are confident that this year's business owners are making a real impact in the local community, and we are excited to see what they achieve next."

This contribution, of both finances and legal services, illustrates Cassels’ commitment to long-lasting support for the Black community. It is a welcomed change from the diversity statements and vapid apologies that for a lot of us, have felt performative and shallow. We can only hope that more businesses and organizations across Canada hear the call to step up to the bar. 

Find out more about Cassels and the grant recipients at Cassels.com