Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on September 08, 2025, at City Hall, via Zoom
Present/Attendees
Thomas S. Saras
Mohammad Tajdolati
Neel Nanda
Maria Saras-Voutsinas
Rosemary Sadlier
Ricky Castellvi
George Guzman
Bill Fastis
Nishantha Don
Hon. Basilio Giordano
George Bakoyiannis
Dimitri Papadopoulos
AR Nathan
Arif Ahmed
Zenaida Ferry
Ravi
Ranjit Wicks
Hermie Garcia
Ghulam Rasool
Manan Gupta
Elsayed Nasr
Khalid Hamid
Thanasis Kourtesis
John Saraidaris
Ernesto Donan
Martha Pinzon
Nishantha Don
Bridgette Fontille
Sukumar Tamil Journal
Roberto Hausman
Jonathan Annobil
Emmanuel Ayiku
Mohammad Bagher Samimi
Kathy Gerasklis
Rick Esquerra
Mila Garcia
Medhat Oweida
Syed Hasson
Sima Ghaffarzadeh
Shahidul Mintu
Lui Queano
Denis Poirier
Jennifer Zhu
Hon. Joe Volpe
Ayubowan Sri Lanka
Leila Monteiro Lins
Deborah Shatz
Gezahegn Mekonnen
Daniela Spirlac
Lankathas Pathmanathan
Susana Donan
Kethes Kumar
Michael Li
Shail Prasad
Essie
Veronica Cusi
Ragee Arasaratnam
Fiza Syeda
Yuri Natchetoi
Khalid Hamid
Michale Li
Maria Swietorzecki
Lucy Yang
Elsayed Nasr
George Guzmas
MB Samimi
Susana Donan
Rupinder Rue Hayer-Bains
Neel Nanda
Mohammad Tajdolati
Olga Kaleev
AR Nathan
Ragee
Nishantha Don
Ayuban SriLanka
Basilio Giordano
Manan Gupta
Ernesto Donan
Kathy Lin
Sima Ghaffarzadeh
Denis Poirier
Ghanian News
Fiza Syeda
Rue Hayer-Bains
Leila Monteiro- Lins
Eugenia Bakchinow
Ghulam Rasool
Ranjith Wicks
Kathy Gerasklis
Hermie Garcia
Luba Cherny
Helen Wang
Taso Chatzitheofanou
Sean Pickard
Jonathan Annobil
Margaret Bonikowska
Abi Kethees
Said Henry
(Names as per Zoom)
Mila Garcia
Goyum
Tausif
Zuhair Alshaaer
MB Samimi
Gonzalo Cooper
Thomas Saras
Ragee Arasaratnam
Mohammad Tajdolati
Ned Blair
Zuhair
Helen Wang
Dimitri Papadopoulos
Pooyan Tabatabaei
Elsayed Nasr
Margaret Bonikowska
Ernesto Donan
Susana Donan
Yuri Natchetoi
Deborah Shatz
Roberto Hausman
Tamil Journal
Olga Kileev
Neel Nanda
Hermie Garcia
Kathy Gerasklis
Rosemary Sadlier
Shahidul Mintu
George Guzmas
Basilio Giordano
Logan Logendralingam
John- CCTimes
Lucy Lyang
Elena Iliadi
Houman
Kamal Nava
Ayubowan SriLanka
Liisa Qureshi
AR Nathan
Martha Pinzon
Zenaida Ferry-Kharroubi
Ghulam Rasool
Jennifer Zhu
Syed Hassan
Shail Persaud
Ramsankr Sivanathan
Agenda of the day:
- Welcome Remarks by the chair.
- Minutes of the previous meeting
- President’s Report/Discussions
- Presentation by Ritesh Kotak Cyber Security Strategist, Lawyer, Tech Entrepreneur
- New Members/New Business
- Adjournment
Welcome Remarks by the Chair:
Mohammed Tajdolati chaired the hybrid meeting of August 11, 2025, and declared the meeting open. Roberto Hausman
moved a motion to approve the agenda. Yuri Natchetoi seconded it. The motion was carried unanimously.
Minutes of the previous meeting:
Yuri Natchetoi moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly meeting and Dimitri Papadopoulos seconded it. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were approved unanimously.
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President’s Report/Discussions:
- President Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the monthly meeting of September 08, 2025.
- The participation at the CNE was a remarkable success. He thanked everyone who worked hard towards its success
- President Thomas Saras met with the federal officials in Ottawa, about funds and budget for ethnic media.
- President Thomas Saras reached out to the office of the Prime Minister and members of various standing committees in Canadian Parliament.
- President Thomas Saras is preparing a report on the needs and challenges of the ethnic media industry which would be sent to the Federal Government.
- President Thomas Saras informed members that there is a new government Federally, and there may be short delays in getting funding under various programs. The LJI may be extended by 6 months. President Thomas Saras informed that LJI program may start with a few amendments. More information will be circulated about the payment cycle once we get an official confirmation from the Government.
- Annual Get-together – President Thomas Saras suggested that the annual event be held on December 12 at the Hungarian Canadian Cultural Centre. Guests would have to confirm their attendance and participation via email. More information will be provided before the next monthly meeting.
- President Thomas Saras mentioned that printing costs are rising and many printing companies are shutting down due to increasing costs. He suggested that with the available funds with NEPMCC and a bank loan, NEPMCC could buy a machine for printing newspapers. Hon Joe Volpe suggested of creating committee for setting up the purchase for the printing machinery and equipment.
- President Thomas Saras informed members that he is hoping that federal Government will improve Aid to Publishers Program and increase Federal Government Advertising.
- President Thomas Saras thanked Maria Voutsinas for her tireless work towards the betterment of the members of NEPMCC.
- Thomas Saras informed the members that the LJI program initially will be for 6 months. The internship program is on hold for now and there will be information once more updates are received from the Ministry.
- President Thomas Saras mentioned about the upcoming Educational Seminar. He said a survey will be send out to members to a need analysis of the courses that members would like to take during the educational seminar.
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- President Thomas Saras mentioned that NEPMCC will working towards creating a foundation for the members who need help during a crisis.
- President Thomas Saras informed the members that any members receiving funds from either LJI or Aid to Publications should declare that they have received funding funds from the Government of Canada. He also mentioned that anyone authoring an article under LJI should acknowledge that he is a LJI reporter.
- President Thomas Saras mentioned that NEPMCC has been trying hard to negotiate a better deal from Google on the compensation for the members of the ethnic media industry.
- Members of NEPMCC receive numerous benefits and for NEPMCC to continue supporting its members, it is necessary for members to pay their membership fees on time.
- Naga Logendralingam suggested that we should honour journalists who have lost their lives for the cause of the freedom of the press. Hon. Joe Volpe suggested that this should be brought to the attention of the committee.
Presentation by Ritesh Kotak Cyber Security Strategist, Lawyer, Tech Entrepreneur.
Ritesh Kotak, a cyber security expert, attended the meeting and shared his insights on emerging technologies and their impact on everyday life. Ritesh graduated with a BBA from the University of Toronto and has an extensive background in both public and private sectors. He began his career in policing, working with two police agencies in Canada and participating in several international assignments. During his eight-year tenure, he co-led the creation of the Cyber-Crimes unit and the Research and Innovation portfolio, focusing on digital transformation and emerging technology.
Ritesh then transitioned to the private sector, collaborating with various Fortune 500 Tech companies on global projects related to Digital Transformation, Cyber Security, and Emerging Tech. During the meeting, he discussed the ethical dilemmas associated with using AI tools and how AI can improve efficiency and productivity when utilized correctly. His presentation was eye-opening and sparked engaging discussions among the members. Key points raised included the importance of ethical considerations in AI deployment and strategies for leveraging technology to promote inclusion and efficiency.
The meeting concluded with a consensus on the need to stay informed about technological advancements and their potential impacts.
Members actively participated in discussions following Ritesh’s presentation, exploring the implications of emerging technologies and AI in their respective fields. Members expressed appreciation for Ritesh’s valuable insights and looked forward to future discussions on similar topics.
Dimitri Papadopoulos, Neel Nanda, Hon. Joe Volpe, Maria Saras Voutsinas, Liisa Qureshi and others participated in the discussions followed by the presentation.
Presentation by Madalyn Calzavara – Executive Director, Legislative Affairs, Community and Public Policy Advocate, Ontario Liberal Party
She invited members to AGM of Ontario Liberal Party. The Ontario Liberal Party’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) is a significant event where party members gather to discuss policy, elect new executives, and set the party’s strategic direction for the future. The AGM is a crucial platform for the party to address its internal dynamics and plan for the upcoming elections. The 2025 AGM will take place from September 12 to September 14, 2025, at the Sheraton Centre Toronto, and will include various sessions and activities such as local matters in education, grassroots engagement, and the election of new party executives. The AGM is expected to be a pivotal moment for the party as it seeks to rebuild and renew its movement following recent electoral challenges.
New Business/New Members
Maria Saras Voutsinas updated on the status of funds regards to LJI. Further information will be communicated about the cheques and electronic devices. More information will be available in next the meeting.
Hon. Joe Volpe emphasized of getting a printing machine for NEPMCC for the common cause of the members of the NEPMCC. There were various discussions on NEPMCC owning a printing machine for the benefit of all members. The council will form a committee made of a few members interested in cost benefit analysis in obtaining a printing machine and come back with a few recommendations after doing their research.
Adjournment: George Guzmas moved a motion to adjourn the meeting, and Yuri Natchetoi seconded it. The motion was carried. The Chair, Dr. Tajdolati adjourned the meeting at 8:15 PM. The next monthly meeting will take place on October 20, 2025, via Zoom.
The above minutes of September 08,2025 were prepared by Secretary General and Senior VP of the NEPMCC, Neel Nanda.