McGuinty Government Names Newcomer Champion Award Recipients First Awardees Named On Canadian Multiculturalism Day

TORONTO - Ontario’s first Newcomer Champion Awards are being given to 14 individuals who have either helped make their communities more welcoming for newcomers or made contributions toward fostering cultural diversity, Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Mike Colle announced today in recognition of Canadian Multiculturalism Day.

"These Newcomer Champion Award winners have been outstanding in their efforts to build bridges that promote cultural understanding and help new immigrants settle and succeed in our great province," said Colle. "Ontarians value diversity for the social and economic richness it brings, and the McGuinty government is pleased to recognize those who move values into action in a way that benefits us all"

The Newcomer Champion Awards program, launched earlier this year, honours persons who have made significant contributions in areas such as cultural outreach, cultural celebration and connecting and integrating newcomers to communities. Submissions were received from across the province and reviewed by an independent selection committee.

Award recipients are:

* Delfino Callegari of Guelph for his work as the volunteer chair of the Guelph and District Multicultural Festival.
* Susan Coffey of Toronto for her commitment to helping foreign trained nurses get licensed to work in Ontario and championing on their behalf.
* Bob Dufton of London for exercising leadership in developing and advancing strategies that effectively link London’s newcomers with relevant employment opportunities.
* Ehsan Ghrear of Kitchener for his ongoing contributions to helping Arab newcomers adapt to their new home by organizing social gatherings, an Arabic language school for children, as well as organizing youth groups.
* Anita Hobbs of Sarnia for promoting cultural diversity in the community through the Sarnia Lambton Folk Arts Multicultural Council, which she founded.
* Paul Hogendoorn of London for recognizing the international skills of newcomers and championing on their behalf in the area of employment.
* Olfat Ibrahim of Toronto for her commitment to pioneering and delivering programs to newcomers in the high needs communities of Oakridge and Teesdale.
* Morteza Jafarpour of Hamilton for his work with newcomer communities. Jafarpour is a founding member of Settlement and Integration Services Organization.
* Gus Kotsiomitis of London for his commitment to connecting newcomers with meaningful employment opportunities. Kotsiomitis is vice-president of commercial banking for the Royal Bank.
* Vivian S. Rambihar of Toronto for his involvement in the social, cultural and health needs of newcomers for 25 years. Dr. Rambihar is a passionate activist for the health rights of newcomers.
* Phyllis Retty of London for her work on the London/Middlesex Immigrant Employment Task Force. She is country leader, human resources for 3M Canada.
* Chirag Shah of London for championing employment opportunities for London’s newcomers. Shah is president of the London Chamber of Commerce and a member of the London/Middlesex Immigrant Employment Task Force.
* Thiru S. Thiruchelvam of Toronto for his work in publishing a magazine in Tamil for that community.
* Shailja Verma of Ottawa for her contributions over three decades to helping develop standards and curriculum as well as delivering English as a Second Language (ESL) programs for newcomers.

Recipients will receive their awards at a ceremony on July 9 in Toronto.

"The initial sacrifices and barriers that many of these nominees and recipients faced did not deter them in their willingness to truly make a difference," said selection committee member Doreen Iannuzzi. “As a Canadian and as an Ontarian, it was particularly inspiring to discover and learn of the personal stories of those who have done so much for our province, in our cities, even in our rural areas. Their efforts to positively impact the lives of our newcomers have enriched us all."

June 27 has been observed annually as Multiculturalism Day in Canada since 2003.

The Newcomer Champion Awards are the latest example of how working together, Ontarians have achieved results in areas such as:

* Promoting Diverse Voluntary Sector Leadership – in partnership with the Maytree Foundation, the abcGTA program is expanding to recruit, train and match candidates from diverse backgrounds to volunteer for leadership positions in agencies, boards, commissions and not-for-profit organizations in the Greater Toronto Area.
* Promoting Greater Understanding of Citizenship Rights - the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) is developing resources to increase awareness of the importance of volunteering and increase newcomer participation.
* Seniors Mentoring Newcomers - the Catholic Immigration Centre Ottawa is developing opportunities to engage new retirees and individuals who are approaching retirement. As part of the project, a targeted website has been created to connect volunteers to volunteer opportunities; networking events will match organizations with potential new volunteers.
* The Volunteer Service Awards which this year honoured more than 8,500 volunteers in 45 ceremonies in 34 communities across the province.
* The Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship which honours up to 20 people annually who have made outstanding contributions to their communities over many years in any field.
* June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Awards for Voluntarism which recognize individuals and groups that have made exceptional contributions as volunteers or in the area of volunteering.


For media enquiries, contact:
Michel Payen-Dumont, Communications Branch, (416) 314-7010