A message from the President and Chief Executive Officer

For 26 years, people have been at the heart of our mission. The values of Solidarity, Recognition, Innovation, Respect, Loyalty and Leadership are part of our DNA. This year, more than ever, these values have guided our steps and helped us achieve exceptional results. Within the context of the pandemic crisis, the dedication and commitment of our team allowed us to reinvent ourselves and maintain our social mission.

The exceptional circumstances created an increased demand for our employability programs. Our own front-line workers, the socioprofessional counsellors, assured the continuity of essential services thus offering a safety net and psychological support for the 110 active participants during the temporary closures. We also helped nearly 550 people integrate into the workforce through our job training program and our Employment Resource Centres.

The great results in our stores confirmed the loyalty of our clients and the relevance of our offer to a growing number of consumers. We have also noticed a behavioural shift in favour of responsible consumption. This has no doubt contributed to the success of the opening of our first thrift store in the West Island and the relocation of our Des Laurentides store in Laval into a space twice the size.

The generosity of the community also prevailed with an unparalleled surge of donors. The average size of the donations collected has increased significantly, bringing the total weight of goods diverted from landfills to nearly 20,000 tons. The opening of a new donation centre in the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough allowed more residents to make a significant environmental gesture and contribute to the development of our social mission.

Throughout the year, we prepared the opening of our first thrift store outside the Greater Montréal Area. This is a major step forward for Renaissance. The hard work of our team, combined with the precious collaboration of our partner, Récupex, will no doubt make our arrival at the Promenades King in Sherbrooke a great success as we begin the new fiscal year!

The year also saw the deployment of Renaissance’s new brand image in our new stores and donation centres, in advertising, on line and with our new loyalty program. We believe that this new image is a good reflection of the history of Renaissance, its role and its place in the community.

We want to sincerely thank our wonderful community: members of the Board of Directors, employees, participants, volunteers, donors, clients and partners. Thanks for believing in our mission. Because of you, Renaissance was able to stay the course despite all the turmoil. Together, let us continue to journey towards our common objective – that of a society which is more just, more environmental and more humane.

Thank you to each and every one of you.