Office of the President

December 28. 2012

 The President's Annual Report for the Year 2012

 Dear friends and Colleagues, Sisters and Brothers in the Ethnic Press of Canada: As 2012 comes to end in three days, I do feel the need to report to all of you about the activities of the administration on your behalf, during the 2012.

As you all remember we organized our weekly exhibition of the ethnic press of Canada on May the 9th, 2012 at the Rotunda of the Toronto City Hall, honoring the Freedom of the Press Day of the UN. More than 365 publications participated in this venue with the best copies they produced during the year. Sixteen publications all together and four Magazines selected by our committee for an Award.  Among them we recognized three papers from Vancouver and another three from Montreal. Ten publications recognized from the rest of the Country.On July the second, as per our annual tradition, we celebrated “Canada Day” with the participation of about 350 members. Many dignitaries from the three levels of government were with us to help make the event memorable.

On August 17th, we participated with our pavilion at the Toronto’s Annual “Canadian National Exhibition”, for 18 days. It was one of the most successful events as more than two million visitors came to our pavilion took pictures and received information about the ethnic press.

On September 23, we participated to “Word on the Street” festival.

On November 9th, we organized our Award ceremony. The event was organized by His Honour the Honourable David C. Onley, L. Governor of Ontario, at the L. Governor’s suite Main Legislative building, Queen’s Park, Toronto.

On November 19th, in another ceremony at the Toronto Dominion Bank tower center, together with Seneca College, we presented the first ever Socio-Economic report of the Ethnic Press of Canada. This is a historic report dealing with the difficulties and the needs of the member publishers of the ethnic press of Canada.

Finally, on December 14th, we organized the “Annual Get Together Event” in Toronto. This is an opportunity for us to meet and greed with our families and friends. All of the events were honored with the presence of politicians of all three levels of the government and as well as many friends.

Taking this opportunity I want to inform you that for the New Year 2013, we are planning our second educational seminar in cooperation with Seneca College. To this extend I hope that during the early months of the New Year I will be able to give you more detailed information about this project.

Closing, please allow me to remind you that on Monday, March 18, 2013 we are holding our Annual General Membership meeting and elections. The floor is open for Nominations for officers and directors of the organization effective immediately and nominations will be accepted until February 28. The names of the candidates will be given to membership by March 10, 2013 and the members will vote on Monday March 18, 2013. If you are interested in participating please make sure that you are a member in good standing and that your membership is paid in full before the process. Only members in good standing can be candidates and stand for elections. Members from outside Toronto can vote either by telephone or by email.

Chairman of our elections committee is our ombudsman Dr. Mohammad Tajdolati.

I wish you all the best for the New Year, health, happiness and success, to you and all the members of your family.