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New Pioneers Awards - 2001

Award Winners

Alex Hiu Man Yeung (Arts)
Alex Yeung's work melds eastern and western aesthetics, with a highly developed sense of form. In 1991, Alex arrived from Hong Kong to study at the University of Manitoba where he graduated with an Honours Bachelors degree in Fine Arts. Specializing in ceramics, Alex's work soon began to attract attention and he was selected to represent the University at an international student exhibition curated in the United States. In 1992, he received the Johnson Taboski Award for Excellence in Art and in 1994 was awarded the First Prize at the 62nd Manitoba Society of Artists Juried Exhibition.

While a student, Alex initiated a visiting artist exchange between Canada and Hong Kong and then coordinated an exchange exhibition between the two countries. He was the catalyst for four major exhibitions by Canadian ceramists in Hong Kong, including a solo show in 1998. To date, Alex has participated in 25 jury and group exhibitions in Canada and overseas. Art galleries and museums in Canada, USA, Hong Kong and Mainland China have exhibited Alex’s work. His latest work was accepted in a juried exhibition, 'Focus on Function' at the University of Minnesota.

Toronto's Harbourfront Centre selected Alex for the coveted three-year residency in ceramics at the Craft Studio. Here he is involved in studio projects and collaborative work with other artists.

Alex is an artist who continues to explore and develop. Both his peers and supervisors consider him to be an extremely talented ceramist who will make a major contribution to the craft community.

Amanuel Melles (Community Service)
Amanuel Melles arrived in Canada in 1993 from Eritrea. His academic background is in the field of marine sciences and research and in his home country, he headed the department of Marine Biology & Fisheries at the University of Asmara. As a certified underwater research diver, Amanuel studied and conducted research in Kenya, Mauritius, Saudi Arabia, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy.

His initial search for employment was discouraging; however, he was determined to transfer his management experience and skills in another field and before long found project work with the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI).

Amanuel has made a significant contribution to the social well being of the immigrant and refugee communities. He is the founding member of the Eritrean Canadian Society for Youth Advancement, mobilizing the community and providing leadership in public relations, project planning and implementation. He motivated volunteers to address stress and suicide prevention in the Eritrean Canadian community and co-founded the Canadians for Peace & Development in Eritrea (CPDE), an organization advocating peace and respect for human rights in the context of war between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Through written articles and media attention, Amanuel encourages people from Eritrea and Ethiopia living in Canada to work together for peace. He provided leadership to mobilize Eritrean Canadians living across Canada to advocate for Government of Canada’s proactive involvement in promoting peace among the two African countries.

Amanuel sits on the Board of Toronto Distress Centres and the Ontario Council of International Cooperation and, through his numerous networks and links with ethnoracial groups strives to bring about social change in Canada.

Amanuel is currently the Interim Program Director at Lawrence Heights Community Health Centre.

Harinder Takhar (Entrepreneurship)
India born Harinder Takhar arrived in Canada in 1974 with a Masters degree in Economics and Political Science and little money. Unable to find employment in the financial sector, he worked in a factory while studying for a Certified Management Accountant designation.

In 1982, he joined Timex Canada Inc. where he became the company's CFO. From there he moved to Linear Technology Inc./Gennum Corporation as Vice President, Finance and Operations before joining Agra Industries Ltd. as Vice President and CFO.

Harinder’s entrepreneurial interest began with Chalmers Suspensions Inc., a truck and trailer suspension systems company facing financial difficulties. By overcoming the seasonality of the business and expanding year-round sales and distribution networks, annual sales have grown to $30 million from $2.7 million in 2000.

Harinder encourages employees to upgrade their professional qualifications and covers all costs involved. Currently, The Chalmers Group has three other companies: a specialty medical products company in Richmond, BC, a specialty manufacturing company and a fabricated metal bin manufacturing company, both located in the U.S. The Chalmers Group annual sales are in excess of $50 million and its 185 employees are eligible for profit sharing based on company performance.

His community involvement is as impressive as his success as an entrepreneur. As Chair of the United Way of Peel, he used his business acumen to steer the debt ridden umbrella organization to one with a significant reserve fund. He is an executive member of the Board of Directors for the Credit Valley Hospital and Chair and Treasurer of the hospital's Resource Committee. He is the founding member and president of the International Punjabi Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Board of Directors of the Education Safety Association of Ontario.

Dr. Ekaterina Rogaeva (Science & Technology)
Ekaterina Rogaeva arrived in Canada in 1992 with two young daughters. She had received her Ph.D. in Clinical Biochemistry from Moscow University and had worked as a senior scientist in the laboratory of Clinical Immunology at the Academy of Medical Sciences in Moscow. In Russia she was awarded patents for "Early Serum changes in essential hypertension" and for "Antioxidant substance protecting the biological membranes."

Dr. Rogaeva had little knowledge of the English language when she first arrived but learned quickly in order to communicate effectively in her workplace and everyday life. While adjusting to a new country and new culture, she parented her teenage daughters with no family support and under strained economic conditions.

She joined the University of Toronto's Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Molecular Genetics and is presently working as a senior research associate. Since 1992, Dr. Rogaeva has worked under the world-renowned Dr. Peter St. George-Hyslop and has made a major contribution in the discovery of two Presenilins genes in Alzheimer's disease. Presenilins are responsible for the most aggressive form of Alzheimer's disease and symptoms may appear as early as age 30. She also contributed to the discovery of the genes and genetic regions for other disorders, including neurodegenerative Machado-Joseph disease, familial cataract and hyperkeratosis (a rare dermatologic disorder).

Her current research focuses on the search for new genes responsible for more common and more complex forms of Alzheimer's disease in which symptoms appear after age 65.

Dr. Rogaeva has volunteered as a supervisor of science projects at the Toronto French School, Wilkinson Public School and Cardinal Newman High School.

Felisa Z. Serrano (SfC Graduate)
Felisa came from the Philippines in 1991 and was employed as a domestic worker in Toronto for two years. She had studied business administration and accounting in her home country and was determined to improve her job opportunities in Canada. Upon completion of her contract as a domestic worker, Felisa found work as a Laundry and Valet Attendant in a hotel and began to upgrade her qualifications at the same time.

During this period Felisa faced economic hardship, as her minimum wage had not only to meet her own personal expense but had to provide for her family back home. Nevertheless, Felisa began to upgrade her skills and completed advanced computer technology certification and import and export business management certification from a vocational college.

In 1998, Felisa graduated from the Computerized Clerical Accounting program at Skills for Change. This program has a co-op placement component where she was assigned to the Canadian Pacific Hotel and Resorts for a two-month period. At the end of the placement, she was hired full-time as an accounting clerk and later promoted to accounts receivable analyst.

She is currently pursuing part-time studies at the University of Toronto and working towards a certificate in Business Management.

Felisa has volunteered at the Bayview Community Hospice and volunteers at Skills for Change as a guest speaker, encouraging SfC’s clients to pursue their dreams.

Subajini Mahalingham (Youth)
Sri Lanka born Subajini Mahalingham lived with her parents in Bahrain before immigrating to Canada in 1992 at the age of 14. Today, this young honours science student at University of Toronto’s Trinity College, is a role model to her community.

Almost immediately upon her arrival, Suba became acquainted with the prevailing stereotypical images of the young Tamil population in Toronto. Her initial reaction of anger and confusion led her to research the history of Tamils who had moved to the Greater Toronto Area in the last ten years. This resulted in her commitment to effecting change. She joined the Canadian Tamil Youth Development Centre and launched Project THAMIL (Tamils Helping and Motivating to Inspire Leadership).

The program works with high school Tamil youth on a grassroots level to empower and inspire leadership. It includes an outreach program with workshops for students on youth empowerment; conflict resolution; a once-a-week drop-in centre and creative and cultural projects for high school students. Older volunteers, who are university and college students or successful graduates pursuing various careers, mentor the high school youth participants. The program also seeks to involve parents and school staff in working on issues relating to Tamil youth. The goal of this program is to inspire leadership and reduce youth violence.

In 1997, Suba received the Harmony Award presented by the Harmony Movement. She has volunteered with the Red Cross, the Hospital for Sick Children and the United Way.