During the month of May, Asian Heritage Month is celebrated across Canada. It is a time to reflect on the many contributions Canadians of Asian origin, who comprise nearly 20 per cent of the Canadian population, have made and continue to make to the growth and prosperity of Canada, and to celebrate the lasting contributions of this diverse, vibrant, and growing community to our culture and society.
Here at APF Canada, we continue to support the bridges connecting Canada’s different communities, peoples, economies, and institutions of the Asia Pacific. This month, you will see several activities and initiatives that will provide Canadians with opportunities to learn more about people of Asian origin in Canada and the opportunities for all Canadians in the dynamic economies of Asia.
We are proud to launch a new initiative this week, the Innovative Leadership for Equitable and Inclusive Democracy (i-LEAD) program, a three-year initiative implemented by APF Canada in partnership with Catalyste+ and funded through the Government of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy. Operating across Mongolia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, i-LEAD will focus on strengthening civil society and democratic spaces by promoting inclusive governance, gender equality, human rights, and digital transformation through research and knowledge-sharing activities.
This week, we also established a new Advisory Group for our Canada-Indo-Pacific Critical Minerals Hub, with support from the University of Ottawa, building on the momentum of the Hub, launched in September with a kick-off event in Vancouver. The Hub represents a unique Canadian platform to assess the evolving landscape of critical minerals policy in the Indo-Pacific to inform Canadian debates and policy, including through convening, written outputs, and a dedicated Minerals Matter podcast series.
Building on our women’s business mission series to Asia, the Foundation is also pleased to announce that members of our team will be joining the Team Canada Trade Mission to Japan (June 23-26 in Tokyo), helping women entrepreneurs engage, connect, and grow in the Japanese market.
On May 6, we are organizing a symposium titled Economic Security: The Future of Canadian Trade and Investment with Asia at the University of Toronto, featuring our 2025–2026 John H. McArthur Research Fellows. The event will feature a keynote address and moderated discussion with Lizzi C. Lee of the Asia Society on China’s economic and technological strategy and its implications for Canada.
On May 7-8, we are hosting our Canada-Asia Young Professionals Fellowship Program Annual Conference in Vancouver. The program, now in its fourth year, engages 20 early-career professionals for a nine-month program to deepen Canadian youth interest and engagement with the Indo-Pacific region and explore major developments happening in the region.
On May 18-22, as part of our secretariat work for Canada's APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) members, we are partnering with SGTech to lead a delegation of senior industry leaders and officials to Singapore to advance bilateral collaboration in AI and quantum technologies. The Canada-Singapore AI+Quantum mission and roundtable will engage the High Commission of Canada in Singapore and Export Development Canada and be anchored around Asia Tech x Singapore, connecting Canadian companies with their Singaporean counterparts across various industries.
We will also host a Strategic Roundtable discussion on Canada-India relations on May 25 in Ottawa and launch our new webinar series, PRC Power Abroad and the Guardrails We Need on Canada-China relations. Watch our Events page for details coming soon.
On May 26, in partnership with Canada-ASEAN Initiatives, and sponsored by the Telfer School of Management, we are presenting a symposium on Canada-ASEAN Security Alignment: The Case for Building Collective Resilience. The event will explore interests and opportunities to deepen our co-operation and build collective resilience against the backdrop of ruptures in the global order.
We also encourage you to explore our Anti-Racism Resources page for combatting anti-Asian racism and learning about Canadians of Asian descent, our Asia Pacific Curriculum project providing Asia-focused resources for Canadian teachers and students interested in Asian Canadian history, and the Kakehashi Project promoting exchanges for students and young professionals in Japan and Canada
And please visit our podcast pages this month for new episodes featuring conversations with prominent Asian Canadians contributing to the peace and prosperity of Canada and strengthening relations with the peoples and institutions of Asia, including a new episode this month with Corporal-Chief Stéphanie Tsujio from the Canadian Armed Forces.
And finally, our Canada-in-Asia Conference 2027 is beginning to take shape. Visit us online to sign up for CIAC2027 updates as we prepare to welcome leaders in business, government, research, and innovation from Asia and Canada to our annual marquee event in Singapore next February.
Asian Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the diversity that is one of Canada’s greatest strengths. We encourage you to take time this month to recognize the many contributions of people of Asian origin in Canada and engage with our work supporting growth and prosperity for Canadians through deepened engagement with dynamic Asia.
– The APF Canada Team
