Just the right ingredients: Your 2026 Canstruction Toronto winners revealed

TORONTO – CAN-do Kindness, Every Catch Counts and Apple of my Eye were just some of the creative names that went hand-in-hand with the innovative designs for this year’s Canstruction Toronto charity competition.

Meant to raise awareness about food insecurity in the GTA and support the Daily Bread Food Bank, this year’s event had 17 sculptures, raised over 81,000 cans, weighing 76,835 pounds. The event also raised $18,000 for the food bank.

Canstruction Toronto was founded in 1999. Each year, teams of designers, architects, engineers and contractors, donate their time and talents to build the sculptures from canned food, which are then displayed in the TD center in downtown Toronto.

Here are this year’s winners:

Best Original Design – KPMB, PCL Construction and Entuitive – CAN-do Kindness

Total cans: 5,988

This design submission features “Miffy,” which was created in 1955 by Dutch artist and illustrator Dick Bruna. The character was inspired by the stories he told his young son about a little rabbit.

“In this playful CANvas, white tuna cans come together to form Miffy’s silhouette, with yellow cans shaping her dress and red tomato cans building her wagon,” reads a description. “Green beans create a soft, meadow-like setting, while red and orange cans suggest flowers scattered throughout, adding warmth and texture.”

Best Meal – RJC Engineers – Every Catch Counts

Total cans: 11,530

This sculpture features a poignant remark: “Like a bear catching fish to survive, every meal matters.

“For many in our community, that same sense of survival is a daily reality — but without the certainty of a catch. Access to food isn’t guaranteed. It’s unpredictable, and often out of reach.”

Donations can change that.

Best Use of Labels – Aercoustics Engineering Ltd. – Apple of my Eye

Total Cans: 5,176

COURTESY CANSTRUCTION TORONTO — Best Use of Labels went to Aercoustics Engineering Ltd. for Apple of my Eye. This structure is meant to capture more than just an image, its designer stated, it’s built to capture what a community can do when they come together.

This structure is meant to capture more than just an image, its design team stated, it’s built to capture what a community can do when they come together.

“Each donated can represents a small act of generosity. Together, they form not just a structure, but a lens through which community support is visible,” its submission reads.

In the viewfinder, an image of an apple comes into focus, symbolizing nourishment, care and the everyday essentials everyone deserves access to.

Structural Ingenuity – ASPECT Structural Engineers – FIFA Trophy

Total cans: 3,324

COURTESY CANSTRUCTION TORONTO — Structural Ingenuity was awarded to ASPECT Structural Engineers for its FIFA World Cup Trophy.

Standing nearly seven-feet-tall, this World Cup Trophy is set against a Canadian flag backdrop and aims to reflect the shared values of Canstruction and the World Cup: “We’re stronger working together toward a common goal, a goal worth building for.”

The design team states they opted for smaller cans in the globe to define its shape and represent the many people and nations who make up our world.

Larger cans below mirror the original trophy design by Silvio Gazzaniga.

Canadian-sourced cans were prioritized to support local economies and food security, the team adds.

People’s Choice – BDP Quadrangle – Blind (Lunch) Box

Total cans: 4,916

COURTESY CANSTRUCTION TORONTO — After many votes were cast, the People’s Choice award went to BDP Quadrangle’s Blind (Lunch) Box. This design reflects the 2020s rise of the Blind Box, capturing everyone’s attention with a mystery figure concealed inside.

This design reflects the 2020s rise of the Blind Box, capturing everyone’s attention with a mystery figure concealed inside.

“A 2023 consumer trends report indicated younger households are particularly prone to the excitement of a hidden treasure, spending hundreds annually on impulse collectable purchases,” the submission reads. “A lunch can sometimes be the trade-off to buy one of these treasures.”

One of the more popular Blind Box collections is the Smiski.

Remade entirely from canned food, the structure highlights the contrast between a meal and the thrill of a hidden treasure, the description adds.

Honourable Mention – Walter Fedy – Currency of Care

Total cans: 4,500

This larger-than-life cash register transforms a familiar symbol of monetary exchange into one of compassion.

“Each can functions as a currency of care, reframing value through generosity and shared responsibility rather than profit,” the submission states.

“By counting generosity in cans instead of dollars, ‘Currency of Care’ redefines what it means to hold value, placing compassion and shared humanity at the heart of worth, where every contribution helps strengthen the community as a whole.”