Making Canadian music education accessible, one dish at a time
septembre 17, 2026
Cheers to 8 Years with Canada’s Great Kitchen Party
A cooking competition might not be the first place you’d look to find a story about transforming music education in Canada. Since 2018, Canada’s Great Kitchen Party has raised more than $2 million for MusiCounts, helping 131 schools across the country build stronger, better-equipped music programs.
Canada’s Great Kitchen Party is an annual culinary competition that travels to 10 Canadian cities before culminating in the Canadian Culinary Championship in Ottawa. Along the way, it brings together some of the country’s best chefs, wine, business & community leaders, and incredible musicians all in support of MusiCounts, Spirit North, and other local charities.
For MusiCounts, that support has found its way into music classrooms from coast to coast through our School Music Funding Programs. These grants enable teachers to replace instruments that have been played well past their prime, expand programs to welcome more students, introduce new kinds of music-making, and even build music programs from the ground up.
“Working with MusiCounts was a no-brainer,” says Karen Blair, Co-Founder and COO of Canada's Great Kitchen Party. “Music has been a huge part of my life, and I know the impact it has had on many other people, especially the musicians we bring along on our trips. It feels great to give back and witness first-hand the healing & magic that music education has on the youth of this country.”
“When I joined MusiCounts, we had just started working with Canada’s Great Kitchen Party, and it’s incredible to see how much the partnership has grown over the years,” says Regan Harney, Executive Director at MusiCounts. “The generosity of this community has created more accessibility to music education for thousands of youth across the country. Karen, the entire Canada’s Great Kitchen Party team, the musicians, and the guests attending events have been incredible supporters of MusiCounts, and we’re so grateful for everything we’ve accomplished together.”
From the kitchen to the classroom, it’s a remarkable Canadian story. Get to know some of the schools that have received MusiCounts grants, made possible by Canada’s Great Kitchen Party here:
Watch “MusiCounts in the Classroom: Norman Johnston Secondary Alternate Program”:
Watch “MusiCounts in the Classroom: Chebucto Heights Elementary”:
Watch “MusiCounts in the Classroom: Faraday School”:
Donate to MusiCounts through Canada’s Great Kitchen Party
The incredible Canadian musicians who play at our events and on our trips are passionate about all kids having access to music education. Your meaningful donation to MusiCounts will support music programs for kids who need them most.
Here are the 131 schools whose music programs have been transformed through the generosity of Canada’s Great Kitchen Party:
Anson S Taylor Jr. Public School
Lynnmour Elementary School
Belmont School
Holland Road Elementary School
Cecil Rhodes School
St. Teresa's Elementary
O. S. Geiger School
Rutland Senior Secondary School
Urban Aboriginal Alternate High School
Glenmerry Elementary
Greater Heights Learning Academy
Macaulay Elementary School
Niitsitapi Learning Centre
Balwin School
Norwood School
Chief Jacob Bearspaw School
Nibwakawigimig Kinistin Education Center
Creighton Community School
Mother Teresa Middle School and Graduate Support Program
Maple Leaf Elementary School
Mary Duncan School
Herring Cove Junior High
Bishop Belleau School
St. Lawrence Catholic School
Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School and Regional Arts Program
Pauline Johnson Collegiate & Vocational School
Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute
Heydon Park Secondary School
Precious Blood Catholic School
Valmont Academy
Stephenville Middle School
Eagle View Elementary School
H.D. Stafford Middle School
Chief Dan George Middle School
Kenneth Gordon Maplewood School
C. Ian McLaren School
Robina Baker
Cold Lake Junior High School
Joey Moss
Gilbert Paterson Middle School
Chief Big Belly Middle School
Johnson Area Band Program (Braun, Bryant, Ferguson and Glen Elm)
Sturgis Composite School
Maverick School
Seven Stones
Bert Fox Community High School
Riverview School
Kisemattawa Kiskinwahamakewikamik
Jack River School
York Street Public School
Pape Avenue Junior Public School
Thousand Islands Secondary School - Intermediate
John McCrae Senior Public School
Alexander Mackenzie Secondary School
St. Marcellus Elementary Catholic School
Norman Johnston Secondary Alternate Program
Winchester Junior and Senior Public School
Bay d'Espoir Academy
St. Michael's Elementary School
Gander Collegiate
Maywood Community School
Britannia Elementary Community School
Nellie McClung School
Cremona School
Parkdale (Centennial Elementary School)
Inner City High School
Albright School
Norquay Community School
Montgomery School
Rockland District High School
École élémentaire publique Terre des Jeunes
Baycrest Public School
Brandon Gate Public School
Hillview Academy
Gill Memorial Academy
École Donat-Robichaud
Bear Creek Elementary
Abbotsford Traditional School
Connex (SD42 Alternative Secondary)
École Brentwood Elementary
Falconridge School
Sundance School
École Mother d’Youville
Steinhauer School
Spruce Avenue Junior High
École Notre-Dame
École élémentaire catholique Saint-Joseph
Courtice Intermediate
Queen Elizabeth Public School
Gateway Public School (TDSB)
St. Oscar Romero Catholic Secondary School
Huntington Ridge Public School
Pierrefonds Community High School
Judge Bryant School
Midale Central School
Wesmor Public High School
Dunne Memorial Academy
Brother Rice Junior High
Acreman Elementary
Ochre River School
Sergeant Tommy Prince School
Faraday School
St. Teresa of Calcutta School
Exshaw School
Morinville Community High School
St. Laurent School
Neepawa Middle School
Lake Melville School
Chebucto Heights Elementary School
Yorkdale Secondary School
Broadacres Jr School
Prince of Wales Public School
Lester B. Pearson Elementary
Ivor Dent
Reed Ranch
Gleneadows School
John Norquay Elementary School
Green Acres Colony School
Edith Cavell School
Holy Trinity High School
Admiral Westphal Elementary School
James Cardinal McGuigan
North Shore Public School
Darcel Senior Public School
Princess Alexandra Community School