Lewis Hamilton launched a charitable foundation Tuesday that will both support diversity and inclusion in motorsports and empower underrepresented youth groups in Britain.
The seven-time Formula One champion formed Mission 44 with a personal pledge of 20 million pounds (US$27.5 million) earmarked to support programs and organizations that narrow the gap in employment and education systems.
Additionally, Hamilton partnered with his Mercedes team on the "Ignite" initiative to focus on ensuring better representation of "diverse students studying STEM and engineering, as well as wider parts of the industry." Ignite will work closely with Mission 44.
The initiatives stemmed from findings of The Hamilton Commission, which was formed to increase representation of Black people in British motorsports. The commission earlier this month published its first report that included 10 recommendations for change.
"Diverse workforces are not only more successful but are also the morally correct approach for any industry," Hamilton said. "The findings of The Hamilton Commission have provided us a fantastic base to begin our work, and I am confident that Ignite will result in real, tangible change within motorsport.
"For 15 years, I have remained one of the few Black employees within Formula 1, and I am proud that my work with Mercedes is going to change that for the better."
Ignite will focus its work on developing a pipeline of diverse talent in motorsports.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said the organization had vowed to partner with Hamilton at the start of the year on a joint project and the mission statement was a collaboration between driver and team.
"Opening up motorsport and becoming a more diverse and inclusive team are fundamental to our team's values and, with the full support of Mercedes-Benz, we are committed to making a positive impact on society and building a platform from which future generations can access and enjoy our fantastic sport," Wolff said. "Through these platforms we hope to see much more talent from under-represented groups both join our team and take up careers in the wider motorsport industry."
Hamilton has taken a visible and vocal role in issues of racial equality and social justice. He is the only Black driver in F1.
Canadians will learn Tuesday the entirety of the federal Liberal government's new spending plans, and how they intend to pay for them, when Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tables the 2024 federal budget.
An Ontario woman was shocked to find she’d been charged nearly $7,000 after unknowingly using an unauthorized taxi company while on vacation in January.
A man is fighting for his life after falling about 30 feet in an air duct at Montreal's Olympic Stadium on Monday, authorities say.
Tim Hortons is launching flatbread pizzas nationally in a bid to pick up more afternoon and evening customers.
The flame that is to burn at the Paris Olympics was kindled Tuesday at the site of the ancient games in southern Greece.
NASA confirmed Monday that a mystery object that crashed through the roof of a Florida home last month was a chunk of space junk from equipment discarded at the International Space Station.
The National Capital Commission is providing a glimpse inside the gutted 24 Sussex Drive, more than a year after the heritage building along the Ottawa River was closed.
Tesla has hit a series of roadblocks, including increased competition and declining sales. The company announced Monday it is slashing 10 per cent of its global workforce.
A fire raged through one of Copenhagen's oldest buildings on Tuesday, causing the collapse of the iconic spire from the 17th-century Old Stock Exchange as passersby rushed to help emergency services save priceless paintings and other valuables.
Ontario Provincial Police are investigating after human remains were found in the Ottawa River in Clarence-Rockland on Monday.
A mass exodus of elected officials from a rural Manitoba municipality has put the community in limbo and may force the province to dissolve what's left of the crumbling council.
A man is fighting for his life after falling about 30 feet in an air duct at Montreal's Olympic Stadium on Monday, authorities say.
Saskatchewan and the RCMP have inked a deal that would see the province fund hundreds more officers if Mounties can recruit to fill those positions.
An Ontario woman was shocked to find she’d been charged nearly $7,000 after unknowingly using an unauthorized taxi company while on vacation in January.
An agreement between the provincial and federal governments will see Premier Doug Ford’s flagship Highway 413 move forward with a joint working group dedicated to minimizing environmental impacts.
A fire raged through one of Copenhagen's oldest buildings on Tuesday, causing the collapse of the iconic spire from the 17th-century Old Stock Exchange as passersby rushed to help emergency services save priceless paintings and other valuables.
A teenager has been accused of wounding a Christian bishop and priest during a church service in a second high-profile knife attack to rock Sydney in recent days, leaving communities on edge, leaders calling for calm and a besieged church urging against retaliation.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz told Chinese leader Xi Jinping who hosted him in Beijing on Tuesday that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine threatens global security, in an apparent call for China to apply greater pressure on its neighbour and close strategic partner to resolve the conflict.
Following the Iranian missile and drone strikes against Israel over the weekend, Canada should take the threat of Iran and potential escalation of the conflict seriously, one global affairs analyst says.
A couple who owned a Colorado funeral home where authorities last year discovered 190 decaying bodies were indicted on federal charges that they misspent nearly US$900,000 in pandemic relief funds on vacations, cosmetic surgery, jewelry and other personal expenses, according to court documents unsealed Monday.
The ship crash that destroyed Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge and left several people dead is now under federal criminal investigation, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter.
Canadians will learn Tuesday the entirety of the federal Liberal government's new spending plans, and how they intend to pay for them, when Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland tables the 2024 federal budget.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says she's urging Israel to de-escalate rising conflicts in the Middle East and not bomb Iran in retaliation for this past weekend's thwarted airstrikes.
The federal leader of the New Democrats is insisting his party's position on carbon pricing remains unchanged.
Functional beverages -- or drinks promoted as offering mental or physical benefits beyond hydration -- are growing in popularity around the world. Hundreds of companies have jumped into the market, hoping to get some buzz with trendy and sometimes unfamiliar ingredients.
Difficulties hiring and retaining enough nurses and personal support workers for long-term care homes could mean the Ontario government may not meet its target for the amount of hands-on care residents receive, the minister responsible for the sector was warned.
It’s common knowledge that exercise is good for your mental health and your heart health — and now a new study suggests that all three are working together.
NASA confirmed Monday that a mystery object that crashed through the roof of a Florida home last month was a chunk of space junk from equipment discarded at the International Space Station.
Using genes from coffee plants around the world, researchers built a family tree for the world's most popular type of coffee, known to scientists as Coffea arabica and to coffee lovers simply as 'arabica.'
NASA is seeking innovative methods that could help retrieve samples collected by the Perseverance rover on Mars in the future.
Dyson Knight may look like an average college student, but since 2004, he’s actually been a member of the internationally acclaimed Baha Men.
Canadian singer Grimes apologized to fans on Saturday after her Coachella set earlier that evening was beset by technical issues that caused her to scream into the microphone in frustration.
A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of 'Rust.'
Statistics Canada will release its consumer price index for March on inflation this morning.
Tim Hortons is launching flatbread pizzas nationally in a bid to pick up more afternoon and evening customers.
A Vancouver woman whose company duped investors by promising big returns on real-estate deals that would house the homeless has been ordered to pay nearly $626,000 after the British Columbia Securities Commission deemed the operation a Ponzi scheme.
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
Celebrity food critic Keith Lee said he was blown away by Toronto, handing a rich ranking to its culinary creators, as the first international stop of his latest food tour.
Even as the cost of living goes up, there are still ways to save some cash when out shopping or using credit cards.
Here's a look at the workings and meaning of the elaborate flame-lighting ceremony held among the ruins of Ancient Olympia ahead of each modern Olympiad.
The flame that is to burn at the Paris Olympics was kindled Tuesday at the site of the ancient games in southern Greece.
After four years at the University of Connecticut, Edwards was selected sixth overall by the Washington Mystics in the WNBA draft Monday night.
General Motors will move its Detroit headquarters to a new downtown office building next year and work to redevelop its iconic home along the Detroit River, company and city officials confirmed Monday.
Nissan expects to mass produce electric vehicles powered by advanced next-generation batteries by early 2029, the company said Tuesday during a media tour of an unfinished pilot plant.
Tesla will lay off more than 10 per cent of its global workforce, an internal memo seen by Reuters on Monday shows, as it grapples with falling sales amid an intensifying price war for electric vehicles.
While many people choose to keep their medical appointments private, four longtime friends decided to undergo vasectomies as a group in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
A popular highway in Alberta's Banff National Park now has a 'no stopping zone' to help protect two bears.
B.C. resident Robert Conrad spent thousands of hours on Crown land developing an unusual bond with deer.
A Sudbury woman said her husband was bringing the recycling out to the curb Wednesday night when he had to make a 'mad dash' inside after seeing a bear.
A school teacher who took part in the Quebec version of the Survivor reality TV show took time off work to be a contestant is now out of a job.
A young actor from Prince Edward Island is getting the chance to fulfill a childhood dream, playing the precocious and iconic Anne Shirley on stage.
Nicholas Zhang, 17, will be competing at the Paris Olympics in July. He is the youngest Canadian male fencer to ever compete in the category.
For many, Monday's total solar eclipse will become a distant memory or collection of photos to scroll through in the years to come. But for Alannah Duarte and her family, they'll be reminded of the rare celestial event every year they celebrate their youngest son's birthday, as he was born on the day of the momentous occasion.
A Montreal couple is having a hard time driving without stress and is unhappy with the city's maintenance after a chunk of highway crashed into their windshield while driving on Thursday night.
The family of a Victoria, B.C., woman who was seriously injured in an accident in Thailand is pleading for help as medical bills pile up.
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A Vancouver real estate services firm is pushing back against the widely held view that not enough homes are being built in Metro Vancouver.
An Ontario woman was shocked to find she’d been charged nearly $7,000 after unknowingly using an unauthorized taxi company while on vacation in January.
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Tim Hortons is launching flatbread pizzas nationally in a bid to pick up more afternoon and evening customers.
Alberta legislation pitched to protect provincial priorities could slow down grant funding and allow federal money to be spent elsewhere, say officials representing rural municipalities and faculty members at post-secondary institutions.
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Ontario Provincial Police are investigating after human remains were found in the Ottawa River in Clarence-Rockland on Monday.
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The Montreal Canadiens have recalled defenceman Logan Mailloux from the AHL's Laval Rocket.
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Batteries power many things in our lives, from phones to laptops to even cars, but there’s a danger lurking in our battery dependency.
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Police are looking for a youth who allegedly stabbed another youth in Halifax on Monday morning.
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An approaching low-pressure system that could bring 50 millimetres of mixed precipitation has triggered a flood warning for parts of Manitoba.
If you’ve ever felt the allure of Hollywood and wanted to be in a big-budget movie your time to shine is now.
Moose Jaw's hyperbaric chamber has now partially resumed services after being discontinued in 2021 due pandemic related staffing shortages. However, only one patient is currently being treated leading to criticism over a perceived lack of service.
Michael Gordon Jackson, the man on trial after being charged with contravention of a custody order for allegedly abducting his daughter in late 2021 to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, called himself to the stand Monday.
Regina's Jon Ryan is set to sign a one-day contract with the Seattle Seahawks tomorrow officially bringing to an end his pro-football career.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are asking some people in Delhi to stay in their homes as officers conduct an investigation.
Cambridge resident Samantha Falkiner explains why something felt "off" about the men who approached her and her neighbours on Friday.
Police are searching a residence just east of downtown Guelph after a man went to hospital with injuries from a homemade explosive device.
Friends are raising money for the grieving family of a 16-year-old Saskatoon boy who was killed in a high-speed crash that injured two other teens on Sunday morning.
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The city says there may be some odour emanating from the landfill in the coming weeks as crews dig new gas wells and piping to collect more methane from decomposing waste.
An Ontario woman was shocked to find she’d been charged nearly $7,000 after unknowingly using an unauthorized taxi company while on vacation in January.
A northern Ontario family is devastated after a jury found a Moose Factory man not guilty of a 2021 murder.
The body of a 14-year-old boy has been pulled from Lake Ontario after police say he drowned while swimming near Ashbridges Bay Park on Sunday night.
A number of students have been displaced after a house fire in east London near Fanshawe College. Crews were called to the scene on Prosperity Court late Monday night.
A massive surplus remains from last year’s municipal budget in London, but city staff warned councillors against using it for a tax break this year.
Multiple warnings have been issued about the dangers of coyotes and potential wild dogs following a weekend attack that left one person seriously injured.
The residents of Kashechewan First Nation are in a race against time, preparing for a mass evacuation as the relentless threat of flooding from the Albany River looms closer.
Two women were seriously injured after a car crash in Orangeville.
It's been more than two years since Jim Lynne died in a crash along Mosley Street in Wasaga Beach.
Windsor police are looking for a woman after a parcel was taken from a home in the 400 block of Chilver Road.
The first Canadian tornado of 2024 hit Essex County in March, says a report from the Northern Tornadoes Project.
A new ranking by food delivery platform Uber Eats puts Windsor among the top cities in the province for ordering cannabis.
The family of a Victoria, B.C., woman who was seriously injured in an accident in Thailand is pleading for help as medical bills pile up.
A Vancouver woman whose company duped investors by promising big returns on real-estate deals that would house the homeless has been ordered to pay nearly $626,000 after the British Columbia Securities Commission deemed the operation a Ponzi scheme.
The HMCS Max Bernays made its way into its new home at CFB Esquimalt on Monday after a long journey from Halifax.
British Columbia is planning to add 240 new units to its complex-care housing program, providing homes for people with mental-health and addictions challenges that overlap with other serious conditions.
More than 80 residents from a low-income apartment building in Kelowna, B.C., have learned they won't be able to return to their homes for at least another two weeks.
Mounties are investigating a reported "road rage" incident in Kelowna, B.C., that left two men injured last week.
Lethbridge West MLA Shannon Phillips is calling on the province to reinstate funding for the Lethbridge Elder Abuse Response Network.
If you’re planning to head to the coulees this weekend to enjoy the nice weather, don’t forget to look down.
With the weather starting to feel like spring is really here, more kids will likely be outside enjoying the sunshine and warm temperatures, which organizers of the Slow Your Roll campaign say is a perfect time to re-launch the campaign.
The City of Sault Ste. Marie is expecting a busy summer at the Downtown Plaza. City officials say the plaza is coming off a successful first winter season, which saw large crowds gathering at the outdoor rink.
The Soo Greyhounds are the talk of the town, as their second-round matchup in the OHL playoffs touches down in the Sault.
Thunder Bay Police Service held a news conference Monday afternoon to discuss the misconduct investigation that led to criminal charges being laid against the city's former police chief.
A pricing agreement has been reached between crab fishers and seafood processors that will allow for Newfoundland and Labrador's annual crab fishery to get started.
Longliners across Newfoundland and Labrador are tied up once again, as a new protest by the province's fish harvesters threatens to derail the crab fishery for a second straight year.
A unique photo exhibit is putting cameras into the hands of survivors of domestic and sexual violence in Newfoundland and Labrador.
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