New Hello Canola campaign aims to instill Canadians with pride for our national crop

Say “Hello” to Canadian Canola! 

WINNIPEG, October 25, 2023 – Hello Canola! Today, the National Canola Marketing Program (NCMP) – made up of representatives and farmers from Alberta Canola, SaskCanola and Manitoba Canola Growers – are proud to launch Hello Canola, a new farmer-led initiative aimed at instilling pride in, and increasing knowledge of, a crop that is sustainably grown here in Canada and is in demand all over the globe. 

While many Canadians know canola for the golden yellow flower fields that span the Prairies and the heart-healthy cooking oil in our kitchens, few understand the positive impact this remarkable crop is making on Canada’s economy, our environment and our communities.   

“Canola is a true made-in-Canada success story that we couldn’t be more excited to tell,” says Jennifer Dyck, NCMP Co-Lead. “With our Hello Canola campaign, we want to showcase the important role canola plays in Canadians’ daily lives and the various uses and applications it has in the kitchen and beyond.”  

Developed in the 1970s by Canadian researchers and named to reflect its origins – “Can” as in Canada and “ola” as in oil – canola contributes $29.9 billion to the Canadian economy each year and accounts for more than 207,000 Canadian jobs¹.  

Today, the crop only continues to increase in value and importance due to its various uses outside of the food industry, such as the beauty, pet food, manufacturing and biofuel industries, to name a few. Canola also has a strong history of helping Canada reduce its overall GHG emissions and is an ideal home and food source for Canada’s honeybees².  

“When thinking about how we could share all these amazing canola facts, the idea of bringing the crop to life as a lovable Canadian Canola character felt like the perfect fit,” says Dyck. “After all, what’s more Canadian than canola? It should be held in the same high regard as other national icons like the moose and maple syrup!”  

The humble and charming Canadian Canola character at the centre of the new Hello Canola campaign was first introduced in August 2023 through a series of short videos that highlighted and celebrated canola’s impact on our everyday lives. Now, Canadian Canola is making its official debut with the launch of a fully integrated digital campaign that includes a new website, hero video, ambassador program, social content and more.  

Canadians are encouraged to visit HelloCanola.ca, sign up for the e-newsletter and follow Hello Canola on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  

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About Hello Canola 

Hello Canola is a grower-led initiative, supported by canola farmers in the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba through the National Canola Marketing Program. This campaign came out of the desire to show Canadians how canola plays an important role in their daily lives and aims to bring Canadians closer to canola by instilling pride in and increasing knowledge of this important crop. Visit HelloCanola.ca for more information. 

About the National Canola Marketing Program 

The National Canola Marketing Program is a joint partnership between Alberta Canola, SaskCanola and Manitoba Canola Growers that invests grower levy dollars into advocacy initiatives and programs that support the work of canola growers. All three organizations are farmer-funded and supported.