MusiCounts invests a historic $1.1 million into music programs in 85 schools across Canada

Schools in every province and territory receive desperately-needed musical instruments, gear, and resources.

TORONTO, Sept. 9, 2025 /CNW/ - MusiCounts, Canada's music education charity, is proud to announce the investment of $1.1 million in instruments, equipment, and gear through its school music funding programs - the MusiCounts Band Aid Program and the MusiCounts Slaight Family Foundation Innovation Fund - to support 85 high-needs schools across the country. This marks the largest disbursement in the charity's 28-year history, with schools in every province and territory receiving funds.

Since 1997, MusiCounts has provided under-resourced schools with grants to keep school music programs alive. In that time, over $19 million worth of instruments, gear, and resources has been delivered to schools in high-needs communities, ensuring young people have access to music education.

Schools receive $1.1M worth of instruments for music programming

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"Music classrooms are the beating heart of any school, and MusiCounts is proud to support 85 schools in high-needs communities with the instruments they need to keep that beat alive. With these resources, students nationwide will build connections with their peers, find their voice, and learn healthy ways to cope with their emotions," said Kristy Fletcher, President of MusiCounts/COO of The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences. "Though we're making a difference in these 85 communities, there is still so much work to be done."

Despite its vital role in Canadian culture, music education remains chronically underfunded. Among the schools receiving MusiCounts funding this year, 20% report having no annual funding at all to sustain programming. Demand far exceeds supply, with MusiCounts able to support just 1 in 5 schools that seek funding.

Applications for the 2026 MusiCounts School Music Funding Programs are open now. To learn more about MusiCounts or to donate in support of the charity's programs, please visit musicounts.ca.

2025 MusiCounts School Funding Recipients

*indicates funding through the MusiCounts Slaight Family Foundation Innovation Fund, indicating a tech-forward or culturally-relevant approach to music education being funded

Alberta
Cremona School - Cremona
École Notre Dame Elementary School - Bonnyville
Inner City High School - Edmonton*
Kapawe'no First Nation Collegiate (Buffalo Bay Academy) - Grouard*
Master's Academy & College - Calgary (CBC Passion Prize winner)
Mînî Thnî Community School - Mînî Thnî*
Nellie McClung School - Calgary
Parkdale Elementary School - Wetaskwin
Rosemary School - Rosemary*
Victoria Park High School - Lethbridge*

British Columbia
Britannia Community Elementary School – Vancouver
Betty Huff Elementary - Surrey, BC (CBC Music Class Challenge Passion Prize winner)
Chief Tomat Elementary – West Kelowna
Colleen and Gordie Howe Middle School - Abbotsford*
Daaxiigan Sḵ'adaa Née – Masset
École Citadel Middle School - Port Coquitlam*
École Glenmore Elementary - Kelowna
H.J. Cambie Secondary School – Richmond
Lena Shaw Elementary School- Surrey*
Maywood Community School - Burnaby*
Sea View Elementary School – Port Alice

Manitoba
Albright School - Morris
École New Era School - Brandon
Norquay Community School - Winnipeg*
Petit Casimir Memorial School - Lac Brochet*

New Brunswick
École Donat-Robichaud - Cap-Pelé
École La Source - Tracadie
École Régionale Saint-Basile - Edmundston
Parkwood Heights Elementary School - Bathurst
River Valley Middle School - Grand Bay-Westfield
Saint Mary's Academy - Edmundston*

Newfoundland and Labrador
Baltimore School - Ferryland
Gill Memorial Academy - Musgrave Harbour
Hillview Academy - Norris Arm
St. Lewis Academy - St. Lewis*

Northwest Territories
Range Lake North School - Yellowknife*
Deninu School - Fort Resolution*

Nova Scotia
Allison Bernard Memorial High School - Eskasoni*
Bible Hill Junior High School - Truro*
G.R. Saunders Elementary - Stellarton
Greenfield Elementary School - New Waterford
John Bernard Croak VC Memorial School - Glace Bay
St. Mary's Education Centre/Academy - Sherbrooke
Sydney Mines Middle School - Sydney Mines

Nunavut
Arviligruaq Ilinniarvik School - Kugaaruk*

Ontario
Baycrest Public School - Toronto
Brandon Gate Public School - Mississauga
Carleton Village Junior and Senior Sports and Wellness Academy - Toronto*
Darcel Ave. Sr. Public School - Mississauga*
Dunrankin Drive Public School - Mississauga*
E.I. McCulley School - St. Catharines
East York Alternative Secondary School - East York (Toronto)*
École élémentaire publique Terre des Jeunes - Alexandria
Georgian Bay District Secondary School - Midland
Glen Orchard Public School - Port Carling
Greenfield Elementary School - New Waterford
Huron Centennial Public School - Brucefield
Maple Ridge Public School - Pickering
Milliken Mills Public School - Markham
Molly Brant Elementary School - Kingston
Nepean High School - Ottawa (MusiCounts Teacher of the Year prize)
Rockland District High School - Rockland
Simcoe County District School Board, Indigenous Education Department - Midhurst*
St. Catharines Collegiate - St. Catharines*
St. Joseph Catholic School - Tilbury
Stamford Collegiate - Niagara Falls
Stephen Leacock Collegiate Institute - Toronto
Westview Elementary School - Hamilton
Woodville Elementary School - Woodville

Prince Edward Island
Charlottetown Rural High School - Charlottetown*

Quebec
Centre de réadaptation pour jeune en difficulté d'adaptation (CRJDA) - Sainte-Thérèse*
Chateauguay Valley Regional High School - Ormstown
École Bruyère/St-Charles - Drummondville
École du Caps-des-Neiges - Saint-Ferréol-Les-Neiges
École internationale de Saint-Sacrement - Québec City
École Léonard-De Vinci - Montréal
École Maria-Goretti - Sorel-Tracy
École secondaire de Matane - Matane
École Secondaire Le Tremplin - Malartic
Métis Beach School - Métis-sur-mer
Springdale Elementary School - Dollard Des Ormeaux

Saskatchewan
Montgomery School - Saskatoon
Minahik Waskahigan High School - Pinehouse Lake*

Yukon
F.H. Collins Secondary School - Whitehorse
Johnson Elementary School - Watson Lake
Whistle Bend Elementary School - Whitehorse

About MusiCounts
MusiCounts is Canada's music education charity associated with CARAS and the JUNO Awards. MusiCounts' vision is to ensure that all youth in Canada have access to music education through their schools and communities. This vision is realized through grant programs that invest directly into schools and communities across Canada that put musical instruments into the hands of kids who need them the most. Additionally, MusiCounts creates educational resources for teachers and students; empowers young people to pursue music as a career; and celebrates teachers, artists, and philanthropists who champion music education.

MusiCounts is funded by many of Canada's most dedicated individuals and corporate citizens including SiriusXM Canada, The Slaight Family Foundation, Canada's Great Kitchen Party, Bell Media, The MusiCounts Leadership Circle, Rogers, RBC, and The Hot Topic Foundation. MusiCounts has been supported since its inception by Sony Music Entertainment Canada Inc., Universal Music Canada, Warner Music Canada Ltd., and the JUNO Awards. MusiCounts was established in 1997, and has awarded more than $19,000,000 in support of music education in Canada. These funds have benefitted nearly 1,600 schools and communities, supported over 290 post-secondary music program graduates, and honoured 20 extraordinary music teachers and seven philanthropists.
www.musicounts.ca

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SOURCE MusiCounts

For any media inquiries, please contact Liam Oldershaw ([email protected])