Yvonne Ng (Arts)

Born in Singapore, Yvonne Ng came to Canada in 1983 as an international student. When she applied to change her status to that of a landed immigrant she found the process a lengthy one. However, even though alone in Canada, Yvonne was determined to fulfill her dream of becoming a professional dancer in Canada and overcame the obstacles that came her way.

An Honours graduate of the York University Dance Department, Yvonne Ng combines the influences of Chinese opera, Indian cinema, and the Hollywood films of the forties and fifties with contemporary styles in her dance performances.

Yvonne’s artistry merges with the roles she inhabits. Her interpretative ability to transform herself from one dance role to another and give herself over completely to the choreographer’s vision is remarkable and has led to the development of a dynamic repertoire. In addition to her work as a dancer, Yvonne is an artistic director, producer, choreographer and entrepreneur.

To consolidate her creative activities as performer, choreographer and teacher, Yvonne founded princess productions in 1995. Her choreographic works have received critical acclaim and some of her works have been performed across Canada and in Australia and Singapore. Since 1994, she has also been the Co-Director of Series 8:08, a dance service organization that seeks to promote the creative development of professional Canadian dance artists.

Yvonne Ng is an active member of the arts community and sits on the boards of the Dance Umbrella of Ontario and the Canadian Alliance of Dance Artists and is an advisory member for the Toronto Arts for Youth – Way To Go program.

Yvonne has received two Chalmers Arts Awards that have allowed her to study in Beijing and Seattle. In 2002, she received the K.M. Hunter Artists Award.


Adeena Niazi (Community Service)

Adeena Niazi, a former professor at Kabul University, was in India on a scholarship when the former Soviet Union seized her homeland, Afghanistan. Unable to return home she became a refugee and in 1988 arrived in Canada as a government sponsored refugee.

Adeena was disheartened at the lack of suitable employment opportunities in Canada even though she had two master’s degrees and was proficient in six languages. Working as a settlement counselor for government-sponsored refugees at NOAH (newcomers orientation assistance and hospitality), Adeena recognized that the needs of Afghan women were not being addressed so, together with a small group of women, she began to tackle the concerns specific to Afghan women.

In 1990, she founded the Afghan Women’s Organization to assist Afghans, particularly women and other newcomer communities, in their integration and adaptation to Canadian life. She also facilitated the resettlement of Afghan and other refugees from overseas through a refugee sponsorship program. The AWO has established overseas projects in Afghanistan and in the refugee camps in Pakistan.

Adeena has served on the board of the Refugees Law Office and Women in Transition executive committee of the Canadian Council of Refugees and continues to actively advocate for refugee and human rights through CCR. Currently, she sits on the board of the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, the NGO Government Joint Committee on private sponsorship, Board of Partnership Afghanistan Canadian, Advisory of Women’s Rights in Afghanistan Project and the Canadian Coalition in Support of Afghan Women.

In July 2002, Adeena Niazi was recognized as one of the top 10 Canadians by Maclean’s Magazine. She has received the Person’s Award from Legal Action Education Fund and Women’s Intercultural Network. The Centre for Refugee Studies at York University recognized her achievements with the Vincent Kelly Award. Adeena has been featured in books – Afghanistan: The Cross Road and At the Feet of My Mother.


Klaus Nienkämper (Entrepreneurship)

Born in Duisburg, Germany, Klaus Nienkämper arrived in Canada in 1960 with $36 in his pocket and a language barrier to overcome. His first job was at a car wash on Toronto’s King Street. However, intent on making modern furniture, Klaus began working with respected designers and in 1968, with minimal capital, established a company that introduced classic European imports to the Canadian market. In the seventies and eighties Nienkämper became a licensed manufacturer for Swiss Design, DeSede and Knoll products.

Today, The The Nienkamper Store occupies a restored historical building on King Street. Owned by Klaus since 1968, this furniture showroom initiated the transformation of a decaying neighbourhood into a design district.

Since the nineties, Nienkämper has manufactured Canadian-designed furniture at a 120,000-sq.-ft. facility employing upwards of 220 individuals. Many are immigrants – 40 nationalities are represented on the payroll.

Nienkämper sells throughout Canada and has showrooms in New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, Dallas, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Also represented in Mexico, England and Hong Kong, the company has completed Middle East, Far East and European projects.

Nienkämper furniture is coveted in boardrooms and offices of major corporations, and in homes. Special projects have included Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s offices and the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC. The company has also created pieces commissioned for presentation to the Prince of Wales and the Aga Kahn.

Nienkämper received Best of Canada Awards in 2001 and 2002 and a Federal Government Export Award in 2000. A 30-year Nienkämper retrospective, originating in Toronto in 1998, traveled to the Architectural Museum in Chicago and the Design Center in Dallas.

Active in supporting and promoting the design community, Klaus has provided scholarship and capital funding to the Ontario College of Art & Design, Ryerson University and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Architecture.


Elvino Sousa (Science & Technology)

Born in the Azores, Portugal, Elvino Sousa came to Canada in 1970 with his parents. Not having any knowledge of English, Elvino struggled to learn the language, worked nights to assist his parents with expenses and went on to excel in high school.

Today, he is a Professor at the University of Toronto and holder of the Bell University Labs endowed chair in Computer Engineering. He is internationally recognized as a leader in the field of wireless communications and the key technology – CDMA, where he has published extensively. These technologies form the basis for the emerging 3rd generation cellular systems that will provide wireless access to the future Internet.

At the University of Toronto, Elvino Sousa has developed one of the most active research groups in the Edward S. Rogers, Sr., Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The success of his wireless research group has been a catalyst in the success of the endowed chairs program in the ECE department.

Dr. Sousa is a member of Professional Engineers Ontario and the IEEE where he has contributed to the organization of numerous international conferences. He has been a consultant to numerous companies in the wireless industry and has assisted Governments in the evaluation of telecommunications research programs in Canada and abroad.

Elvino Sousa is actively involved in the Portuguese Community in Toronto, especially the scholarship program of the Federation of Portuguese Canadian Business and Professionals (FPCBP) that recognizes the accomplishments of students of Portuguese descent in post-secondary education. Dr. Sousa was also recognized for his achievements through their ‘Professional of the Year’ award. In January 2003, Dr. Sousa received Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee medal for his contributions to Canada.


Martha Kuwee Kumsa (SfC Graduate)

Martha Kumsa arrived in Canada as a refugee in 1991, escaping a life of terror and uncertainty in Ethiopia. As a broadcaster and print journalist, she continued to write voluminously during the 10 years she spent in jail as a prisoner of conscience in Addis Ababa. Martha came to Canada as a single mother with three children; her husband had disappeared in Ethiopia and Martha had no news about his survival for thirteen years. In 1996 he joined the family in Canada.

Although experienced in her field, Martha could not find comparable employment in Canada. In 1992, she came to Skills for Change and completed a course in Life Skills and Job Search. The agency gave her insight into the Canadian workplace and wider community that as a result, she made the decision to return to school full-time to study Social Work and is currently finishing her Ph.D. at the University of Toronto. After many years of coping with financial difficulties and juggling the demands of family, school and a job, Martha was recently hired by the Wilfrid Laurier University in a tenure track teaching position.

Martha has published a number of learned articles as well as essays and poetry. She has presented papers at conferences in Toronto, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden and participates in panel discussions on issues related to human rights and freedom of expression.

Martha is an active member of PEN International, PEN Canada, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression, the Oromo-Canadian Women’s Organization and is a founding member of Ormo Global Communities Network. She also actively volunteers for Amnesty International.

In 1996, Martha received the Helman/Hammet Award for Free Expression from Human Rights Watch in New York and, in the same year also received the Dr. Wilson Head Memorial Award for Outstanding Work in Anti-Racism, Peace and Human Rights from Atkinson College, York University.


Azim Lila  (Youth)

Born in Tanga, East Africa, Azim Lila came to Canada in 1989 with his parents. He had a neurologically based learning disability that was not correctly diagnosed until he arrived in Canada. Notwithstanding his disability, Azim has progressed through high school and is currently a third year student at York University, majoring in Business with a specialization in Information Technology.

Azim used the barriers he faced as opportunities to excel in life. With the help of therapy, training, diet and exercise, he overcame his speech disability, has achieved proficiency as a public speaker and gone on to win public speaking contests. He can now undertake a stint as a stand-up comedian!

Azim champions the cause of students living with disability. Two years ago, with support from York University, he founded the Support to Learning Disabled Students and Launching Disability Support that encourages young students with disabilities to set high education goals and achieve them despite setbacks. The next stage of this project is the launch of a web site accessible to people with disabilities, as a one-stop guide to the many services available. Three doctors at York University, the Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario and ACCESSYork now support this project. Additionally, Azim has established the $2,400 Ontario Power Generation Scholarship at York University for students who are disabled, women, minorities or aboriginal.

His community involvement sees him manage summer camps for children, participate in the National Conference on Globalization and the New Economy, speak to youth at the Canadian National Learning Disability Conference and sit on the Board of Directors for ACCESSYork.

Azim’s leadership skills have been recognized with the Kiwanis International Award and the Justin Eves Foundation Award for students with learning disabilities. His project Support for Learning Disabled Students received an honourable mention at the 2002 International Global Youth in Action Award program in New York.

 

Lead Sponsor
CIBC

Arts Award Sponsor
Government of Canada

Community Service Award Sponsor
Blake, Cassels and Graydon LLP

Entrepreneurship Award Sponsor
Sun Life Financial

Skills for Change Graduate Award Sponsor
Certified General Accountants of Ontario

Youth Award Sponsor
Xerox Canada Limited

Science and Technology Award Sponsor
S.M. Blair Family Foundation

Silver Sponsors
Terenet Inc.

Official Television Sponsor
Citytv

Official English Print Sponsor
The Toronto Star

Official Chinese Print Sponsor
Sing Tao Daily

Radio Sponsor
EZRock

Skills for Change Graduate
Dan Karim - Micro Second Computer Inc.
Mary Ann Lara - Manulife Financial
Rugang Zeng - R.V.Anderson Associates Limited
Bill Waicus - Skills for Change
Olga Grupp-Boland - Skills for Change

Science & Technology
Dr. Rama Bhat - York Central Hospital
Joe deSouza - Teranet Inc.
Dr. Alex Jadad - 2002 Award Recipient
Ronald H. Friesen - Sun Life Financial
Gerry Meade - Professional Engineers of Ontario
Valli DiLallo - Skills for Change

Youth
Barbara Titherington - York Community Services
Carla Rosario - 2000 Award Recipient
Franz Branschat - Certified General Accountants of Ontario
Kevin King - 2002 Award Recipient
Lewanna Mashaud - The Foundation for Advanced Vocation
Rochelle Cole - Retired Teacher
Avanti Chakraverti - Skills for Change
Rosaline Graham - Skills for Change

Community Service
Catherine Kenwell - Certified General Accountants of Ontario
Mario Calla - COSTI
Maureen Adams - United Way of Greater Toronto
Gaynor McAlister - IBM Canada Limited
Amanuel Melles - 2001 Award Recipient
Rohit Bhattacharjee - Scotiabank
Alice Lee - Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Paula Green - Skills for Change
Rahim Mohammad - Skills for Change

Arts
Lata Pada - 2000 Award Recipient
Jim Gerrard - Toronto Arts Council Foundation
Debbie Kanga - Unilever Canada
Andrea Marcus - Multimedia Artist
Paula Citron - Broadcaster/Dance Critic
Soheil Parsa - 1995 Award Recipient
Farida Zuberi - Skills for Change
Marily Molina - Skills for Change

Entrepreneurship
James Maclean - BMO Nesbitt Burns
Edwina McGroddy - Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario
Uwe Petroschke - 2002 Award Recipient
Denise Araiche - CIBC
Amy Chong - Bank of Montreal
Dikran Ohannessian - Sun Life Financial
Julie Bean - Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Ben Manzo - CIBC
Darshak Vaishnav - Skills for Change
Maria Garofalo - Skills for Change
 

Andrea Lijoi
Art Gallery of Ontario
Bill Waicus
Blake, Cassels and Graydon LLP
Blockbuster Video
Brian McAnoy
Canon Canada Ltd.
CanStage
Casa Loma
ChumCityStore
City of Toronto - Museums & Heritage Services
CN Tower
Compass Rose Power Solutions Ltd.
Conservation Toronto and Region
Cordoba Coffee
David Hughes
First Picture Frame Warehouse Inc.
Folly
GoodLife Fitness Clubs
Greyhound Canada Transportation Corp.
Hannaford Street Silver Band
HarbourFront Centre
Instatel Communications
Jessie Eden Productions
Joe Mihevc
Josten's
Libby Ackermann
Lisa Cruikshanks
Mary Kay
MasterCard Canada Inc.
Mezzetta Restaurant
Micro Second Computer
Music Toronto
Nouvelle Maria Spa and Salon
Olga Grupp-Boland
Ontario Place
Ontario Science Centre
Pat Sinervo
Peggy Edwards
Pete's General Contractor
Reilly Locksmiths Ltd.
Royal Ontario Museum
Rosaline Graham
Sandy Swainton
Second City
Sign-a-Gram
SouthWestern Ontario Sun Inc.
Tarragon Theatre
The Hannaford Street Silver Band
The Second City
Toronto Star
Toronto Truck Theatre
Vipond Fire Protection Inc.
Welcome to the City
Westin Harbour Castle
Your Butler Dry Cleaning
 

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