Since 1975, this private non-profit agency has operated a unique preschool program to help prepare about 20 blind and visually impaired children to attend mainstream schools each year. The Foundation also offers an invaluable Family and Community Consultation service which reaches out to another 220 children, plus their families and related support groups, and also helps to train ECE specialists and professionals working with these children.

Tomorrow's Heroes is committed to making substantial differences in the lives of children.  The goal was to fundraise in order to eliminate the waiting list for these children and provide funding to either hire more consultants or provide those that are already on board to have more time in the field where their services are greatly needed.

Thank you, abundantly, to everyone who contributed and participated in making a difference in the lives of these children.

In recognition of continued creativity, integrity and excellence on the Web.

We did it again!  Tomorrow's Heroes was just awarded the 2003-2004 Golden Web Award for upgrading and maintaining our design, content and originality on the web.  Read below for more information on the award and the judging criteria.

In recognition of creativity, integrity
and excellence on the Web.

Ontario Cyberspace Services Build Business

Starting a business in Ontario has never been easier. The provincial government is making it quicker and simpler for people to realize their entrepreneurial ambitions, be innovative and build a growing enterprise.

From the convenience of home or business, a new company can be born with just a few clicks on the Web site. Best of all, these online government services are accessible 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week.

Small business is the economic engine of Ontario. According to a July 2002 study by CIBC World Markets titled "Small Business Hiring - An Important Factor Behind the Recent Strength in the Canadian Labour Market," small businesses generated 40 per cent of all new jobs in the economy in the last year. Statistics Canada estimated in its most recent (1998) small business figures that Ontario firms with less than 50 employees account for 96 per cent of all firms in the province. The statistics also showed that firms with less than 100 employees are responsible for 61.7 per cent of total job creation in Ontario.

These e-government initiatives for small businesses are giving Ontario a competitive edge as an innovative jurisdiction for the 21st century.

Ontario Business Connects (OBC)
Giving birth to a new business or growing an existing one is fast and easy thanks to Ontario Business Connects. With OBC, business owners have a quick and user-friendly tool for registering, renewing, amending or cancelling a business registration in Ontario. Clients can log on to www.cbs.gov.on.ca/obc or visit any one of the 140 OBC self-help workstations located throughout Ontario. Clients can go the OBC Web site to find the closest OBC self-help workstation in their area. You can search a business name, register for provincial and federal programs for new businesses, and access a virtual library of useful information on an industry.

MyBIS
Now, business clients can automatically receive government business information. MyBIS allows clients to perform several key functions, such as subscribing to the service and completing a client information profile that identifies targeted information and event notification, such as training, seminars and info-fairs. Subscribers can change their profile information, provide feedback, or unsubscribe at any time. Based on the selections, the system searches our partner database sources and automatically sends users a personalized e-mail with current and updated hyperlinks specific to business interests. Clients also have the option of how often to receive timely and up-to-date information on their chosen industry or market.

In 2001, Ontario entrepreneur Kelly Manoukas launched her own company, "Tomorrow's Heroes", with the help of these innovative web services. Manoukas was thrilled to discover she could do many business planning transactions on the Internet.

"Services such as the YMCA Markham Business Centre, Ontario Business Connects and MyBIS were extremely valuable in the early development stages of my company," says Manoukas. "Since my business model is very specific, the detailed information from MyBIS helped me define my target market and craft successful business proposals."

Canada-Ontario Business Services Centres (COBSC)
The Canada-Ontario Business Services Centres are joint federal-provincial information centres for new and established entrepreneurs. Centres are jointly managed by the Ministry of Consumer and Business Services and Industry Canada. COBSC's mission is to improve the start-up, survival and growth rates of Ontario businesses. This is achieved by ensuring that business people in Ontario have access to relevant, accurate, and timely information and referrals from various levels of government. COBSC provides services in both official languages, accessible free of charge to all Ontario business clients by telephone (including TTY), mail, Info-FAX, e-mail, Braille, and the Internet.

Clients can log on at www.cbsc.org/ontario or call toll-free in Ontario at 1-800-567-2345. The TTY number is 1-416-973-0306.

People can talk directly to a business information specialist who will guide them through a step-by-step process on the Internet. In addition, several online tools are available on the COBSC Web site such as an Interactive Business Planner and the Business Start-up Assistant.

"I definitely wanted a home-based business and loved being able to use the Internet and telephone services at the Canada-Ontario Business Services Centre because it made my journey into entrepreneurship very easy," adds Manoukas. "Having such services available meant not needing to drive around town all day because I had one-stop access to business knowledge."

The Joint Online Registration Pilot Project
If you want to launch branch offices in other parts of Canada, this service is for you. In June 2002, the governments of Canada, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador launched a pilot project aimed at making some of the business registration processes with government more streamlined, transparent, accessible and user-friendly.

The Joint Registration Project at offers a single point of access on the Internet for business owners to file for federal incorporation and extra-provincial registration. An Ontario-based entrepreneur who incorporates federally is simultaneously given the option of applying for extra-provincial registration with the Companies and Personal Property Security Branch in Ontario by completing a few additional online questions. Going national and even international with your business has never been easier. For more information, check online at www.cbsc.org/ontario.

The Ministry of Enterprise, Opportunity and Innovation Web site
links into a series of Ontario government services for small businesses. This comprehensive site advises prospective small business owners on the basic requirements of starting a business, and assists them in evaluating their prospects. It points entrepreneurs towards the many services offered by Ontario's 41 Small Business Enterprise Centres (consultations, business plan review, workshops, mentoring), plugs them into Ontario Business Connects (on-line registration, renewal and reporting processes for Ontario businesses), and helps them find information on matters such as access to capital, exporting, marketing and more.