Community Comes First

Communities are at the heart of everything we do. So, naturally, it’s where we choose to give back.

The Taggart Parkes Foundation is a non-profit, family-run organization that is committed to giving back to the communities in which we have lived and worked for three generations. Our focus is on building relationships with local organizations, with an emphasis on improving health care services, supporting, and empowering at-risk youth, and fostering healthy communities.

Going back to the post-World War II era, Harold and Muriel Taggart began helping returning war veterans as they integrated back into their community. This work expanded into assisting youth and in later years into improving health care. Harold and Muriel instilled in their children and grandchildren the importance of supporting the broader community, of lending a hand to those who need help, and of showing philanthropic leadership in the business community.

That spirit has continued to be passed down into the second and third generations. The Taggart Group of Companies' ethos is “Integrity. Quality. Community.” We strive to stay true to that in everything we do.

The Taggart Parkes Foundation, Taggart and Parkes families, and employees of the Taggart Group of Companies are committed to improving our communities through volunteer work, sponsorships, and financial support. Our initiatives speak to our ongoing commitment to the communities in which we live, work, and grow.

Initiatives

We Support

YMCA

Harold Taggart founded Taggart Construction in the 1940’s based on the values of integrity, cooperation, and teamwork, while his wife Muriel Taggart instilled the same values in their family’s everyday living. Muriel went on to serve on the Y’s Board...

Read More

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa

In 2020, the Taggart Parkes Foundation is excited to be partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa (BBBSO), Canada’s leading child and youth mentoring organization.

Read More

The Shoebox Project

The Shoebox Project collects and distributes shoeboxes full of gifts for women in need across Canada and the US. Tamarack Homes has been a proud partner of the Shoebox project for the last few years.

Read More

Ottawa Food Bank

The Taggart Parkes Foundation is renewing its partnership with the Ottawa Food Bank to help distribute more healthy food to our neighbours in need. Each month more than 37,500 people in Ottawa turn to a food bank for assistance. The...

Read More

The Ottawa Hospital

The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) has earned an international reputation for leadership in cancer research. From unmatched expertise in oncolytic viruses to revolutionizing the clinical trials process, TOH is working hard to transform every aspect of cancer care. Over the next...

Read More

Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation

The Taggart Parkes Foundation has partnered with the Queensway Carleton Hospital Foundation for more than a decade. During that time, more than $175,000 has been donated by the Taggart Parkes Foundation to fund various initiatives and improvements taking place at...

Read More

Christie Lake Kids

Year after year, the Taggart Parkes Foundation is honoured to partner with Christie Lake Kids, a life-changing organization that serves economically disadvantaged children and youth by providing recreation and skill-building programs at no cost and with all barriers to participation...

Read More

Youville

The Taggart Group of Companies is happy to announce that we are teaming up with the Youville Centre for their Alumnae and Transitions Program.

Read More

Citizen Advocacy

It is a place where people with disabilities and their families feel welcomed, safe, not judged and able to speak their minds; a place where they receive the recognition, guidance and support they are seeking. Citizen Advocacy Ottawa recognizes the...

Read More

Our Partnerships

Sustainability

We are committed to creating a greener and more sustainable future, and this prompted us to establish a dedicated Sustainability Committee in 2011. This committee of employee members researches, coordinates, and implements various initiatives intended to promote sustainable practices.

We opt for clean energy alternatives

We have installed solar panels on the roofs of some of our offices and retail plazas as a source of renewable energy.

We support our local ecosystems

We have dedicated dozens of acres of natural open space in the last decade and enhanced animal habitats where appropriate. We have also partnered with a local company to provide a home for a colony of bees, a valuable and important part of our urban ecosystem.

We designed our office for sustainability

We installed an automatic light adjustment system to maximize the use of natural daylight, changed all light fixtures to LED, and installed infrared sensors that reduce energy usage in vacant spaces. We also shut the power off nightly to nonessential outlets and centrally operate the temperature control to maximize efficiency.

We recycle on site

We have dedicated bins on our job sites for wood, which is reused for mulch on site or sent for recycling where appropriate. We are also crushing and reusing stone on our job sites where possible.