TFS - Canada's International School

The Kaneff family's connection to TFS spans decades. When Didi and Ignat Kaneff chose TFS for their children, Anna-Maria Kaneff '97 and Kristina Kaneff '99, they knew they were choosing more than a school—they were choosing a place that reflected their values: integrity, community and global citizenship. Today, both sisters have returned to TFS as proud alumni and active parents. Between them, they have four children currently enrolled at the school with a fifth on the way. "We deliberately picked the school because it embodies so many of the values we have at home," shared Kristina and Anna-Maria. "It allows us to draw from our own experience, reinforce those same lessons with our children and support their educational journey in a meaningful way." For Kristina, the return to TFS is deeply personal. "I started at the Mississauga campus when I was three years old, so did my son and now my daughter is beginning in the same program, at the same campus," she said. "It's a full- circle moment." She vividly remembers performing as Napoleon in a school play in the West Campus gym, a space that still hosts assemblies today. "Every time I step into that room, I'm transported back to that stage, that costume, that memory. It's incredible to see my children now making memories of their own, in the same spaces that meant so much to me." Kristina's and Anna-Maria's children are thriving in their own journey with the school. From the bilingual program to the emphasis on integrity and global perspective, TFS is providing the same foundation that shaped their own childhoods. That foundation traces back to their late father, Ignat Kaneff. Arriving in Canada at 24 years old, Ignat laid bricks for a living. He built his first home, just a few hundred metres from where the West Campus now stands. From that first house, he built an empire: a real estate and construction business that would go on to shape communities across the GTA. Over the years, Ignat's vision and generosity were recognized nationally; he received both the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada. Together, Ignat and Didi were also honoured with a medal from Queen Elizabeth II for their contributions to Canadian society. But his legacy was never about buildings alone. It was about values: hard work, generosity and the belief in education as a force for change. Those values live on in his daughters, who continue their father's vision, not just through philanthropy, but through hands-on leadership. Anna-Maria serves on the school's Board of Directors and chairs its Sustainability and Property Committee; Kristina serves on the TFS Foundation Board. Both are deeply involved as class representatives and members of the Parents' Association. "It's incredibly meaningful to support the construction of a facility that bears our name," Anna-Maria said. "It ties in directly with our profession and what we do as a family. We build homes and communities. Fittingly, this space we're helping to build is one in which students can grow. To know it stands so close to where our father began his journey is a powerful reminder to us of where he started his life and career in Canada. Places matter to people. It's about creating a sense of belonging, that's what we're helping to create here at TFS." The Kaneffs' contribution will help bring new athletic facilities and student spaces to the West Campus. Spaces designed to inspire pride, confidence and connection. "We hope students feel proud of this space and see it as their own," they shared. "And we hope they understand it was made possible by families who came before them, families who still care deeply about this school, long after their own time as a student or parent here has ended." For Anna-Maria and Kristina, supporting TFS is also a way to model civic engagement for their children. "We want them to see what it means to give back. Not just financially, but by showing up, by investing time, by caring deeply about the place they're part of. That's how we raise citizens of the world." For the Kaneffs, the new facility is more than a building. It's a tribute to their past, a gift to the present and a legacy for the future. Two generations strong at the school, the Kaneffs are helping to bring a bold new vision to life at the West Campus. With their philanthropic contributions now reaching over $1 million, the Kaneffs have marked their place in the school's history as transformational donors. Behind this milestone is a deeper story of gratitude, legacy and the belief in education as a generational gi. The opportunity to help build a space that in part bears our family's name is not only a tribute to our parents, but a way to give back to an institution that has given us so much. Anna-Maria and Kristina Kaneff 75 TFS

• Cover