Our History
Maple Leaf Academy is a Designated Learning Institution of Canada.
Maple Leaf Academy was founded in 1991 by Zen and Toko Ishikawa.
Zen and Toko moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada from Kichijoji, Japan. They knew very little English, and had no experience with the frigid Canadian winters. They packed all their belongings into 4 wooden boxes and arrived in Calgary on September 20, 1967. Zen quickly found work as a skilled labourer on a construction site.
One day he showed up for work and no one was there, he was able to get a hold of his supervisor, who told him there would be no more work until the spring when the weather was better. Having no work and only a small amount of money to support themselves, Zen and Toko spent their first winter bundled up in one room in their meager home. Slowly, they learned more about their new home.
There was little support for newcomers to Canada in 1967, but they made great friends through church. Toko learnt how to cook with Canadian ingredients and Zen went to school to refine his construction skills. They worked hard over the years to support their growing family of five girls. Toko found work in a flower shop and used her sewing skills to make clothes for her children. Zen built a playhouse in the backyard for his girls and each winter he would put up a makeshift ice rink using 2x4's and a plastic sheet.
Once they established their life in Calgary, Zen and Toko decided they wanted to do more to give back to their community, so they opened an English as a Second Language school. On September 12, 1991 Maple Leaf Academy Ltd. was created, almost 24 years to the day when they first arrived in Calgary.
They started out with 3 students and have since grown to helping thousands of international students and newcomers to Canada gain language and culture skills to benefit their lives. Toko still comes to the school everyday to work, and Zen comes when he has some jobs to do. They have dedicated their lives to the staff and students of Maple Leaf Academy and continue to work tirelessly to give anyone in need a hand up.
English is your future, Maple Leaf Academy is the key!
Why Maple Leaf
In Japan, the maple tree is a symbol of peace, calmness and rest which helps to build a safe and happy life. When our founders immigrated to Canada as newlyweds in 1967 from Japan, their hope was to build a safe and happy life for their future family. They didn’t have much support and had to learn the language and culture on their own. Thanks to new friends, they learnt how to shop, cook, work, study, and settle in Canada. Eventually, they were able to open Maple Leaf Academy. Their intention was to help anyone coming to Canada, like themselves, build a foundation of relevant skills for a safe and happy life. Since opening the doors in 1991, Maple Leaf Academy has assisted thousands of international students learn English and get one step closer to achieving their academic and employment goals. Maple Leaf Academy has also assisted thousands of newcomers to Canada in creating a safe and happy life in Canada.
In Canada, the maple leaf is a symbol of balance, love, longevity, and abundance. This encompasses the purpose of Maple Leaf Academy as we help our students balance learning English and Canadian culture while still maintaining the cultures and respect for their home country. When we achieve this balance, we find love, longevity, and abundance.
This is what the maple leaf symbolizes to our school.
