Minutes of the January 15 2024 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the January 15, 2024 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on January 15, 2024 through video conference 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 Lyang
  - Elsayed Nasr
  - George Guzmas
  - MB Samimi
  - Susana Donan
  - 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
  - Said Henry
  Agenda of the day
  - - Welcome Remarks by the chair.
    - Minutes of the previous meeting
    - President’s Report/Discussions
    - New Members/New Business
    - Adjournment
    Welcome Remarks by the Chair:
    
    Mohammed Tajdolati chaired the first virtual monthly meeting of 2024 meeting and declared the meeting open. George Guzmas moved a motion to approve the agenda. George Guzmas seconded it. The motion was carried unanimously.
    
    Minutes of the previous meeting:
    
    George Guzmas moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly meeting and Rue Hyer Bians seconded it. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were approved unanimously.
    
    President’s Report/Discussions:
    - President Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the first online monthly meeting of January 15, 2024. He hoped the coming new year will be great for everyone. He also reminded members to pay their annual membership fees to continue to get the benefits and privileges as a member of NEPMCC.
    - President Thomas Saras mentioned that the Annual Event on December 15 at the Hungarian Cultural Centre was a huge success. The event was attended by several distinguished individuals from all levels of Government. The food as always was lavish with lots of entertainment.
    - At the Annual Get-together a few distinguished members from the community were also honored. Thomas Saras thanked Maria Saras Voutsinas and her committee members who worked very hard towards the preparation of the Annual Dinner.
    - President Thomas Saras explained that LJI program was on hold due to the delay by the ministry of Canadian Heritage.
    - Motion: Bill Fastis appreciated President Thomas Saras for his tireless and selfless efforts for the members of the ethnic media industry. As such there is a need for the President to travel to various destinations pleading for the cause and rights for the ethnic media industry Bill Fastis moved a motion to authorize the treasury to cover the travel expenses of his flight to Ottawa and other destinations as required. The motion was seconded by George Guzman. The motion was unanimously carried.
    - President Saras mentioned that we will be going through all outstanding LJI applications shortly and new applications will still be accepted. He also reminded all LJI recipients to email Maria their tech requests.
    - President Thomas Saras thanked all the members who generously donated to NEPMCC. Although the industry and members of NEPMCC are struggling financially, he encouraged everyone that can do so to donate. He also reminded the members for renewing their membership by paying their annual membership fees.
    New Business/New Members:
    
    Maria Saras informed the members on the updates on LJI and Internship Program.
    
    Adjournment:
    
    Yuri Natchetoi moved a motion to adjourn the meeting and Kathy Lin 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 Monday, February 12, 2024, via Zoom.
    
    The above notes from the minutes of January 15, 2024, were prepared by Secretary General and Senior VP of the NEPMCC, Neel Nanda.

Minutes of the Dec 11 2023 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the December 11, 2023 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on December 11, 2023, through video conference 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

Agenda of the day

- Welcome Remarks by the chair.
- Minutes of the previous meeting
- President’s Report/Discussions
- New Members/New Business
- Adjournment
Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Mohammed Tajdolati chaired the virtual monthly meeting and declared the meeting open. Roberto Hausman moved a motion to approve the agenda. Dimitri Papadopoulos seconded it. The motion was carried unanimously.

Minutes of the previous meeting:

Roberto Hausman moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly meeting and Rue Hyer Bians seconded it. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were approved unanimously.

President’s Report/Discussions:
- Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the online monthly meeting of October 16, 2023.
- Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the online monthly meeting of December 11, 2023. He hoped the coming new year will be great for everyone.
- President Thomas Saras mentioned that the Annual Event on December 15 at the Hungarian Cultural Centre is fully sold out. The event will be attended by a number of distinguished individuals from all levels of Government. The food as always will be lavish and there will be plenty of entertainment.
- At the Annual Get-together a few distinguished members from the community will be honored. Thomas Saras thanked Maria Saras Voutsinas and her committee members who worked very hard towards the preparation of the Annual Dinner.
- There was a motion on the floor to approve gift baskets for VIPS at the Annual Event on December 15 at the Hungarian Cultural Centre. George Guzmas moved the motion, Rue Hayer Bains seconded it. The motion was carried.
- Motion: President Thomas Saras proposed that the administration shall apply to the Toronto Dominion Bank, where we are retaining our accounts to open two additional accounts, each one of them for the program the NEPMCC is running. One for the Local Journalism Initiatives and the other for the Internship program, for the administration to have better control over the expenses of each of these programs. The motion was placed for vote on the floor. The motion was carried unanimously. As a result of this motion accepted unanimously, it therefore authorizes the office of the President to take the necessary action with the Department of the administration of the Toronto Dominion Bank for the opening of the two additional accounts under the name of each of the program.
- President Thomas Saras explained that Internship program was on hold due to the delay by the Department of the Canadian Heritage.
- Motion: Bill Fastis, appreciated President Thomas Saras for his tireless and selfless efforts for the members of the ethnic media industry. As such there is a need for the President to travel to various destinations pleading for the cause and rights for the ethnic media industry. Bill Fastis, moved a motion to authorize the treasury to cover the travel expenses of his flight to Ottawa and other destinations as required. The motion was seconded by George Guzman from Montreal Quebec. The motion was unanimously carried.
- President Saras mentioned that we will be going through all outstanding Internship applications shortly and new applications will still be accepted. He also reminded all LGI recipients to email Maria their tech requests.
- President Thomas Saras thanked all the members who generously donated to NEPMCC. Although the industry and members of NEPMCC are struggling financially, he encouraged everyone that can do so to donate.
New Business/New Members:

Maria Saras informed the members on the updates on LJI and Internship Program.

The chair introduced new member Olga Kileev – Chief Editor at Knopka.ca

Adjournment:

Yuri Natchetoi moved a motion to adjourn the meeting and Kathy Lin seconded it. The motion was carried. The Chair, Dr. Tajdolati adjourned the meeting at 9:15 PM. The next monthly meeting will take place on Monday, January 15, 2024, via Zoom.

The above notes from the minutes of December 14, 2023, were prepared by Secretary General and Senior VP of the NEPMCC, Neel Nanda.

Minutes of the October 16 2023 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on October 16, 2023, through video conference 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
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

Agenda of the day

- Welcome Remarks by the chair.
- Minutes of the previous meeting
- President’s Report/Discussions
- New Members/New Business
- Adjournment
Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Mohammed Tajdolati chaired the virtual monthly meeting and declared the meeting open. Roberto Hausman moved a motion to approve the agenda. Ranjith Wicks 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 Roberto Ranjith Wicks seconded it. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were approved unanimously.

President’s Report/Discussions:
- Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the online monthly meeting of October 16, 2023.
- President Thomas Saras mentioned that this year Annual Event will most likely take place on Friday, December 15 at the Hungarian Centre, 141 Sunrise Ave. North York, On. M4A 1A9
- Motion. There were discussions regarding the price of the ticket for the Annual Get-together. Motion was unanimously approved to have the price of tickets to be $50. It was also decided with unanimous vote that awards would also be held on the same day. President Thomas Saras mentioned that the Awards Committee would decide on the awards based on the nominations received by NEPMCC.
- President Thomas Saras explained that LJI program was on and the administration was looking to receive applications.
- President Thomas Saras encouraged everyone to attend the Annual Get-together. He mentioned that NEPMCC would be recognizing distinguished individuals in various field and encouraged members for nomination.
- Motion: Bill Fastis appreciated President Thomas Saras for his tireless and selfless efforts for the members of the ethnic media industry. As such there is a need for the President to travel to various destinations pleading for the cause and rights for the ethnic media industry Bill Fastis moved a motion to authorize the treasury to cover the travel expenses of his flight to Ottawa and other destinations as required. The motion was seconded by George Guzman. The motion was unanimously carried.
- President Saras explained that all Internship funding applications will be on hold until probably the middle of November 2023. President Thomas Saras reminded members to send in their invoice for in kind services. He explained why in-kind services are important for grant application.
- President Saras mentioned that we will be going through all outstanding LJI applications shortly and new applications will still be accepted. He also reminded all LJI recipients to email Maria their tech requests.
- President Thomas Saras thanked all the members who generously donated to NEPMCC. Although the industry and members of NEPMCC are struggling financially, he encouraged everyone that can do so to donate.
- The president asked for three members to volunteer for the preparation of the annual get together.
New Business/New Members:

Maria Saras informed the members on the updates on LJI and Internship Program.

The chair introduced new member Olga Kileev – Chief Editor at Knopka.ca

Adjournment:

Ernesto Donan moved a motion to adjourn the meeting and Thanasis Kourtesis 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 Monday, September 18, 2023, via Zoom.

The above notes from the meeting of August 14, 2023, were prepared by Maria Saras-Voutsinas on behalf of Secretary General and Senior VP of the NEPMCC, Neel Nanda.

Minutes of the August 14 2023 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on August 14, 2023, through video conference via Zoom

Present/Attendees

Thomas S. Saras
Mohammad Tajdolati
Neel Nanda
Maria Saras-Voutsinas
Rosemary Sadlier
Ricky Castellvi
Hon. Basilio Giordano
George Bakoyiannis
Dimitri Papadopoulos
AR Nathan
Zenaida Ferry
Ravi
Hermie Garcia
Ghulam Rasool
Manan Gupta
Elsayed Nasr
Khalid Hamid
Thanasis Kourtesis
John Saraidaris
Ernesto Donan
Martha Pinzon
Nishantha Don
Bridgette Fontille
Josee Shanks
Sukumar Tamil Journal
Roberto Hausman
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 SyedaDimitri Papadopoulos
AR Nathan
Zenaida Ferry
Ravi
Hermie Garcia
Ghulam Rasool
Manan Gupta
Elsayed Nasr
Khalid Hamid
Thanasis Kourtesis
John Saraidaris
Ernesto Donan
Martha Pinzon
Nishantha Don
Bridgette Fontille
Josee Shanks
Sukumar Tamil Journal
Roberto Hausman
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

Agenda of the day

- Welcome Remarks by the chair.
- Minutes of the previous meeting
- Presentation by Josee Shanks- Department of Canadian Heritage
- President’s Report/Discussions
- New Members/New Business
- Adjournment
Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Mohammed Tajdolati chaired the virtual monthly meeting and declared the meeting open. Roberto Hausman moved a motion to approve the agenda. Joe Volpe seconded it. The motion was carried unanimously.

Minutes of the previous meeting:

Nishantha moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly meeting and Roberto seconded it. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were approved unanimously.

A moment of silence was observed in honour of our brother and colleague, Srimal Christopher Abeyewardene. We will miss him greatly. May his memory be eternal.

PreSENTATION BY JOSEE SHANKS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CANADIAN HERITAGE:

The presentation can be found here:

Canada Periodical Fund

Business Innovation
Magazines
and
Community Newspapers

Objectives of Business Innovation
- support innovation and the use of new technologies;
- strengthen the financial viability of Canadian print magazines, print community newspapers (non-daily) and digital periodicals;
- increase access to the market by Canadian print magazines, print community newspapers (non-daily) and digital periodicals;
- encourage the development of the next generation of Canadian periodical publishing professionals; and
- enhance the diversity of titles and Canadian editorial content available to readers and advertisers
Canada Periodical Fund (CPF)

Aid to Publishers (ATP)
- This component is designed to provide eligible Canadian publishers of print magazines, print community newspapers (non-daily) and digital periodicals with the financial support they need to produce and distribute high-quality, Canadian editorial content for Canadian readers.
Collective Initiatives (CI)
- Funds projects for organizations designed to increase the overall sustainability of the Canadian magazine and community newspaper (non-daily) industries.
Canada Periodical Fund (CPF)

Business Innovation (BI)
- A component that supports projects for small and medium-sized publishers of print and digital magazines.
- This component has two subcomponents:
  - Magazines
  - Community Newspapers
Canada Periodical Fund (CPF)

Magazines and Community Newspapers Publisher Eligibility
- be a private-sector entity, which includes corporations, not-for-profit organizations, partnerships and sole proprietorships;
- be majority owned and controlled by Canadians.
Periodical Eligibility
- contain an average of at least 80% Canadian editorial content in the issues published during the reporting period.
- Ethnocultural periodicals must contain an average of at least 50% Canadian editorial content in the issues published during the reporting period;
- contain an average of no more than 70% advertising in all issues published during the reporting period. Advertising content is calculated as a percentage of total content published. Note that advertorial and sponsored content are included in this calculation; and
- contain at least 50% original content in the issues published during the reporting period.
Magazine Eligibility – Print
- appear in consecutively numbered or dated issues;
- Have at least two issues in the past 12 months;
- average circulation – no less than 250/no more than 100,000;
- subscription price of $12 per year or $1 per copy;
- paid circulation magazines must:
  - have at least 50% paid or request circulation, or a combination of
    these equaling 50%.
  - Indigenous, ethnocultural, official-language minority and 2SLGBTQI+
    magazines must demonstrate paid or request circulation, but are not required to maintain the 50% threshold;
Magazine Eligibility – Digital
- maintain a regular publishing schedule in which the majority of editorial content changes at least twice during a 12-month period;
- have articles date-stamped with identified authors;
- maintain one of the following types of verifiable circulation over six months:
  - paid subscription service: priority will be given to periodicals that maintain an average of at least 250 subscribers;
  - email-based service: priority will be given to periodicals that maintain an average of at least 1,000 registered email
    recipients; or
  - open access-service: priority will be given to periodicals that maintain an average of at least 2,500 unique monthly visitors;
  - maintain an editorial function where the editor is named;
  - regularly present written editorial content from more than one person;
  - have generated a minimum revenue of $2,500 in the fiscal year (e.g., subscription revenues, advertising sales, etc.)
  - the minimum revenue does not apply to official-language minority, Indigenous, ethnocultural and 2SLGBTQI+ digital publications;
  - present a clearly displayed masthead or contact page that includes, at minimum, the names of the publisher and
    editor and how to contact the publication; and
  - have a total revenue of less than $500,000 for the publication.
Community Newspapers Eligibility – Print
- be printed and appear in consecutively numbered or dated issues published under a common title;
- have published between two and 52 regular issues and no more than 56 issues during the financial year, including special issues;
- paid circulation community newspapers must:
  - have sold at least 3,500 paid copies through subscription copies and single-copy/newsstand copies during the financial year.
  - Official-language minority, Indigenous, ethnocultural and 2SLGBTQI+ community newspapers must have sold at least 2,000 paid copies during the financial year;
  - have subscriptions sold at a minimum average subscription price of $12 per year; or at a minimum average subscription price of $0.50 per copy;
  - have single copies and newsstand copies sold at a minimum average single-copy price of $0.50 per copy;
  - have both the subscription and single-copy prices appear on the cover or in the masthead of the community newspaper.
  - The minimum prices do not apply to official-language minority, Indigenous, ethnocultural and 2SLGBTQI+ community newspapers.
Community Newspapers Eligibility – Digital
- be available through a valid URL, an app for download, email format, or a third-party publishing platform and provide access to the program;
- maintain a regular publishing schedule, editorial content changes at least twice during a 12-month period;
- have articles date-stamped with identified authors;
- maintain a verifiable circulation over six months:
- have generated a minimum revenue of $2,500 in the fiscal year.
- The minimum revenue does not apply to official-language minority, Indigenous, ethnocultural and 2SLGBTQI+ digital publications;
- have Canadian editorial content levels that are above 80%
- at least 50% of content must be in written format and videos uploaded as content must have a corresponding text article to count towards eligibility.
- maintain an editorial function where the editor is named;
- present a clearly displayed masthead or contact page that includes, at minimum, the names of the publisher and editor and how to contact the publication; and
- have a total revenue of less than $500,000 for the publication.
Eligible Projects
- - be a new activity not repeated from previous Business Innovation projects;
  - be outside of and in addition to regular, recurring or ongoing operations, including editorial, production and distribution activities; and
  - align with the objective of the Canada Periodical Fund, and at least one of the objectives of the Business Innovation component.
Changes 2023-24
- - - Magazine applications must be submitted through the portal
    - Community newspapers must fill out an application form
    - Contact the Program to request an application
    - You can claim expenses starting April 1st 2023, if you have started the
      project.
    - Start-ups amount has gone up from $5,000 to $10,000
    - Business Innovation amount has gone up to $500,000 per year.
Eligible Project
- - - be a new activity not repeated from previous Business Innovation projects;
    - be outside of and in addition to regular, recurring or ongoing operations, including editorial, production and distribution activities;
Eligible Expenses
- - - venue and equipment rental;
    - specialized software licensing during the project period only;
    - promotion and marketing costs;
    - professional fees;
    - Training;
    - project-related travel expenses;
    - project-related salary costs of employees (less than 25% – cannot be in-kind);
    - project-related overhead costs; and
    - costs of an audited financial report for the project (for contributions over $250,000).
In-Kind Expenses
- - - are essential to your project’s success;
    - are eligible and would otherwise have to be purchased or paid for by you;
    - can be measured at fair market value (i.e., in relation to similar goods and services);
We reserve the right to limit the amount claimed as in-kind contribution.

Project Examples
- - - new or improved business models, methods, or processes;
    - new or improved products or services;
    - new or improved systems or tools;
    - digitization of back issues;
    - rebranding or redesign;
    - a special issue, outside of the regular publishing schedule (must be free);
    - adoption or use of new media;
    - mobile applications;
    - web design and development;
    - expansion into new markets; and
    - advertising and promotional campaigns.
Deadline

September 15, 2023
Portal closes at 11h59 local time
Paper applications must be received before 11h59 local time
No extensions will be granted

Portal

https://pch-financement-funding.canada.ca/en-CA/fundingopportunities/

Contact

Email : fondsdesperiodiquescanada-canadaperiodicalfund@pch.gc.ca

Telephone: 1-866-811-0055 (toll-free)

President’s Report/Discussions:
- - - Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the online monthly meeting.
    - President Saras discussed the CNE Opening Ceremony that will take place on Sunday, August 20th at noon. We will be honouring the CG of the USA to Toronto, the CG of Serbia, the CNEA President, MPP Aris Babikian and Zis Parras of the CNE.
    - Entrance tickets can be arranged via Maria
    - We will also be hosting a reception after at The Beer Garden and since Maria may not be able to attend, Katerina will be making sure that everyone is taken care of.
    - The CNE booth will be staffed by Ricky and Demetre.
    - Mr. Saras asked all members to mail 25 copies of their latest issue to the office for display at the CNE.
    - President Saras explained that all Internship funding will be on hold until the Fall.
    - President Saras mentioned that we will be going through all outstanding LJI applications shortly and new applications will still be accepted. He also reminded all LJI recipients to email Maria their tech requests.
    - President Thomas Saras thanked all the members who generously donated to NEPMCC. Although the industry and our members are struggling financially, he encouraged everyone that can do so to donate.
Adjournment:

Ernesto Donan moved a motion to adjourn the meeting and Thanasis Kourtesis 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 Monday, September 18, 2023, via Zoom.

The above notes from the meeting of August 14, 2023, were prepared by Maria Saras-Voutsinas on behalf of Secretary General and Senior VP of the NEPMCC, Neel Nanda.

Minutes of the July 10 2023 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on July 10, 2023, at City Hall Committee Room # 2 (hybrid meeting)

Present/Attendees

Thomas S. Saras
Mohammad Tajdolati
Neel Nanda
Maria Saras-Voutsinas
Rosemary Sadlier
Ricky Castellvi
Hon. Joe Volpe
Hon. Basilio Giordano
Daniela Sprilac
Michael Li
Helen Wang
Rue Hayer-Bains
Zuhair Alshaaer
Elsayed Nasr
Ned Blair
Jonathan Annobil
Shahidul Mintu
Deborah Shatz
Kamalavasan Navaratnamv
Pooyan Tabatabaei
Martha Pinzon
Nishantha Don
Lankathas Pathmanathan
Linda Karuks
Liisa Qureshi
Zenaida Ferry-Kharroubi
George Guzmas
Roberto Hausman
Arif Ahmed
Fiza Syeda
Denis Poirier
Ragee Arasaratnam
Lydia Sun
Leila Monteiro Lins
Mohammed Bagher Samimi
Ali Mahmoud
Ghulam Rasool
Anfisa Lyasota
Ranjit Wicks
Sandie De Freitas
Norman Hart
Kathy Lin
Teshome Woldramanuel
Khalid Magram
Mooka Tamil
Bobby Wang
Maria Swietoizacki
Mike Kolososki
Khalid Hamid
Nagamany Logendralingam
Hermie Garcia
Mila Garcia
Eugenia Bakchinow
Michael Li
Sima Ghaffarzadeh
Cezar Bangu
Rui Yang
HaiTien Lin
Isa Melo
Yuri Natchetoi
John Saraidaris
Said Henry
Tom Bijoet
Dimitri Papadopoulos
Ahmad Shah Hotaki
Kathy Gerasklis
Athanasios Kourtesis
Bill Fatsis
Nishantha Don
Thanasis Kourtesis
Dimitri Papadopoulos
George Bakoyannis
Rosemary Sadlier
Elsayed
Tom Bijvoet
John Saras
Mohammad Tajdolati
Manan Gupta
Sean PICKARD
John Jia CC Times
Michael Li
Emmanuel Ayiku
Yuri Natchetoi
Kathy Lin
Ernesto Donan
Susana Donan
AR Nathan
Watan E Maa (Popalzai)
Denis Porier
Syed Hassan
Lucy Yang
Weera Fonseka
Krishalingham
Ayuban Sri Lanka
Raul (student from Corriere)

Agenda of the day

Welcome Remarks by the chair.
Minutes of the previous meeting
President’s Report/Discussions
Presentation by TBDC –Toronto Business Development Centre
New Members/New Business
Adjournment

Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Mohammed Tajdolati chaired the virtual monthly meeting and declared the meeting open. Rosemary Sadlier moved a motion to approve the agenda. Roberto Hausman seconded it. The motion was carried unanimously.

Minutes of the previous meeting:

Ahmed Shah Hotaki moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly meeting and Yuri Natchetoi seconded it. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were approved unanimously.

President’s Report/Discussions:

Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the first in person monthly meeting of 2023 in July. He gave update of the various projects undertaken by NEPMCC.
President Thomas Saras informed that all the members who were qualified for the LJI will be receiving cheques soon. He further added members qualified and hired students intern under the internship program will be also receiving their cheques in the coming weeks.
President Thomas Saras informed the council that he will be visiting Vancouver to meet members of NEPMCC from the Province.
President Saras and Chair Tajdolati reminded members of the annual membership fees for 2023.
President Thomas Saras informed the members that the opening ceremony of the Ethnic Press Festival will take place on August 20, 2023. President Thomas Saras mentioned that NEPMCC will participate in this years Ethnic Press festival at CNE and will have the same booth as last year.
He requested the members to submit copies of their publication for display at the NEPMCC booth at the CNE.
President Thomas Saras informed the members under LJI, there are three computers available for members who applied. President Saras reminded all participants in the LJI and Internship programs that they must declare on their outlets that they are receiving financial assistance from the Government of Canada. Maria shared a link to the Government of Canada site with the logo and statement that must be declared by the member publication that has received funding.
President Thomas Saras expressed disappointment as very few members have applied for the Student Internship program. He mentioned that this program may be could potentially terminated in future if there is lack of participation in the Student Intern Program by the members.
President Saras encouraged participation in the Student Internship program. It has been a remarkably successful project and both students and publishers are benefiting immensely.
President Saras explained that audits for the various programs we are administrating are happening.
President Thomas Saras informed the members about the Business Innovation Program. President Thomas Saras informed the members that the Special Measures for Journalism has been launched and members who qualify can apply. The Special Measures for Journalism component provides funds to Canadian magazines and community newspapers. The Special Measures for Journalism component will provide funds for the 2023-2024 fiscal year to publishers that have a free circulation model or low levels of paid circulation or are published in digital format. Daily newspapers are not eligible for this component. The deadline for this application is July 21, 2023.

Presentation by TBDC –Toronto Business Development Centre

Sanjeev Verma along with his colleagues from TDBC made a detailed presentation on OINP-ESI

OINP –ESI (Entrepreneur Success Initiative)

TBDC is an Ontario-wide business incubator, helping businesses launch, grow, and scale since 1990. TDBC is a not-for-profit multi-sector incubator set up in 1990 by the City of Toronto, that brings 30 years of experience in building businesses and business networks in Ontario. TDBC is proud to serve as a bridge between entrepreneurs worldwide and Ontario’s investors, industry associations, and government. The OINP Entrepreneur Success Initiative is a two- year initiative administered by the Toronto Business Development Centre to help prospective immigrant entrepreneurs identify business opportunities in Ontario and apply to the OINP Entrepreneur Stream. The OINP Entrepreneur Stream is a pathway for experienced international entrepreneurs to get a nomination for permanent residence in Canada by starting a new business or buying an existing one. The OINP Entrepreneur Stream is a pathway for experienced international entrepreneurs to move for more to Ontario by starting a new business or buying an existing one. This means you can come to Ontario as a temporary resident and if, after 20 months, you meet program requirements, you can be nominated for permanent residence in Canada. The Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program is the province of Ontario’s economic immigration program to attract the skills and experience Ontario needs. In partnership with the Government of Canada through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), it is a pathway to permanent residence in Canada. The Entrepreneur Success Initiative is a two-year initiative supported by Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development and is administered by Toronto Business Development Centre (TBDC). The Entrepreneur Success Initiative is for entrepreneurs who are interested in immigrating to Canada by establishing a new business or buying and growing an existing business outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
Following the presentation by TBDC there was questions and answer period.
Yuri Natchetoi, Nishant Don, Maria Saras Voutsinas, Neel Nanda asked various questions on the scope of work by TBDC.
TDBC would forward an article based on the scope of OINP-ESI for the members of NEPMCC.
The chair thanked all the members from TBDC for their presentation.

New Business/Discussions

The chair asked if there are any new business for discussion, as nobody asked for the floor, the Chair moved to next item. Maria Saras Voutsinas gave everyone an update on the various ongoing projects under NEPMCC.

Adjournment:

Ahmed Shah Hotaki moved a motion to adjourn the meeting and Yuri Natchetoi seconded it. The motion was carried. The Chair, Dr. Tajdolati adjourned the meeting at 8:30 PM. The next monthly meeting will take place on Monday, August 14 10, 2023, via Zoom.

The above notes from the meeting of July 10, 2023, were prepared by Secretary General and Senior VP of the NEPMCC, Neel Nanda.

Minutes of the June 12 2023 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on June 12, 2023, through video conference via Zoom

Present/Attendees

Thomas S. Saras
Mohammad Tajdolati
Neel Nanda
Maria Saras-Voutsinas
Rosemary Sadlier
Ricky Castellvi
Hon. Joe Volpe
Hon. Basilio Giordano
Daniela Sprilac
Michael Li
Helen Wang
Rue Hayer-Bains
Zuhair Alshaaer
Elsayed Nasr
Ned Blair
Jonathan Annobil
Shahidul Mintu
Deborah Shatz
Kamalavasan Navaratnam
Pooyan Tabatabaei
Martha Pinzon
Nishantha Don
Lankathas Pathmanathan
Linda Karuks
Liisa Qureshi
Zenaida Ferry-Kharroubi
George Guzmas
Roberto Hausman
Arif Ahmed
Fiza Syeda
Denis Poirier
Ragee Arasaratnam
Lydia Sun
Leila Monteiro Lins
Mohammed Bagher Samimi
Ali Mahmoud
Ghulam Rasool
Anfisa Lyasota
Ranjit Wicks
Sandie De Freitas
Norman Hart
Kathy Lin
Teshome Woldramanuel
Khalid Magram
Mooka Tamil
Bobby Wang
Maria Swietoizacki
Mike Kolososki
Susana Donan
Ernesto Donan
Khalid Hamid
Nagamany Logendralingam
Hermie Garcia
Mila Garcia
Eugenia Bakchinow
Michael Li
Sima Ghaffarzadeh
Cezar Bangu
Zuhair Alshaaer
Rui Yang
HaiTien Lin
Isa Melo
Yuri Natchetoi
John Saraidaris
Said Henry
Lui Queano
Tom Bijoet
Dimitri Papadopoulos
Ahmad Shah Hotaki
Kathy Gerasklis
Athanasios Kourtesis
Bill Fatsis
Nishantha Don
Thanasis Kourtesis
Dimitri Papadopoulos
George Bakoyannis
Rosemary Sadlier
Elsayed
Tom Bijvoet
John Saras
Mohammad Tajdolati
Joe Volpe
Manan Gupta
Hermie Garcia
Mila Garcia
Bill Fatsis
Roberto Hausman
Sean PICKARD
Isa Melo
Basilio Giordano
John Jia CC Times
Michael Li
Emmanuel Ayiku
Yuri Natchetoi
Kathy Lin
Jonathan Annobil
Khalid
Ernesto Donan
Susana Donan
AR Nathan
Pooyan Tabatabaei
Shahidul Mintu
Rue Hayer-Bains
Watan E Maa (Popalzai)
Arif Ahmed
Denis Porier
Syed Hassan
Sima Ghaffarzadeh
Lucy Yang
Ahmad Hotaki
Weera Fonseka
Leila Monteiro-Lins
Zuhair Alshaaer
Liisa Qureshi
Martha Pinzon
Krishalingham
Kamal Navaratnam
Ned Blair
Kathy Gerasklis
Ayuban Sri Lanka
Said Henry
Lankathas
Raul (student from Corriere)
Fiza Syeda

Agenda of the day

Welcome Remarks by the chair.
Minutes of the previous meeting
President’s Report/Discussions
Presentation by Nathaniel Erskine Smith MP Beaches East York and leadership candidate for Ontario Liberal Party
Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Anthony Furey
New Members/New Business
Adjournment

Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Minutes of the previous meeting:

Roberto Hausman moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly meeting and Arif Ahmed seconded it. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were approved unanimously.

President’s Report/Discussions:

Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the online monthly meeting of June. He gave update of the various projects undertaken by NEPMCC.
President Thomas Saras informed that all the members who were qualified for the LJI will be receiving cheques soon. He further added members qualified and hired students intern under the internship program will be also receiving their cheques in the coming weeks.
President Thomas Saras informed the council that he will be visiting Vancouver to meet members of NEPMCC from the Province.
President Thomas Saras informed the members under LJI, there are three computers available for members who applied. President Saras reminded all participants in the LJI and Internship programs that they must declare on their outlets that they are receiving financial assistance from the Government of Canada. Maria shared a link to the Government of Canada site with the logo and statement that must be declared.
President Thomas Saras expressed disappointment as very few members have applied for the Student Internship program. He mentioned that this program may be terminated due to lack of participation.
President Saras encouraged participation in the Student Internship program. It has been a remarkably successful project and both students and publishers are benefiting immensely.
President Saras explained that audits for the various programs we are administrating are happening.
President Thomas Saras informed the members about the Business Innovation Program. President Thomas Saras informed the members that the Special Measures for Journalism has been launched and members who qualify can apply. The Special Measures for Journalism component provides funds to Canadian magazines and community newspapers. The Special Measures for Journalism component will provide funds for the 2023-2024 fiscal year to publishers that have a free circulation model or low levels of paid circulation or are published in digital format. Daily newspapers are not eligible for this component. The deadline for this application is July 21, 2023.
President Thomas Saras mentioned that NEPMCC will participate in this years Ethnic Press festival at CNE and will have the same booth as last year.

Presentation by Nathaniel Erskine Smith MP Beaches East York and leadership candidate for Ontario Liberal Party.

The chair Mohammad Tajdolati introduced Nathaniel Erskine Smith to the meeting.
She began her address by mentioning that on May 10 she will be stepping down as a MPP because she wants to run for the Mayor of Toronto.
Nathaniel Erskine Smith became (Nate) the M.P of Beaches-East York. on October 19, 2015, after a successful grassroots open nomination in December 2014. Before politics, Nate was a lawyer at a commercial litigation firm downtown Toronto. He supplemented his practice with volunteer legal work for a range of clients and causes, which included fighting public interest matters in court, and research for the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. Nate regularly attends events around Beaches-East York, volunteers his time in support of local charitable activities, and visits local schools to talk to young Canadians about the importance of participating in the democratic process. Nate was raised in the east end of Toronto, where he attended public school and played baseball. His parents are retired public school teachers and his first experience with politics was supporting them on the picket lines during the Harris years. He went on to obtain his BA and JD from Queen’s and his Master of Laws from Oxford, where he studied constitutional law. He also pitched for baseball teams at both universities. Nate practiced commercial litigation before pursuing politics. Nate’s wife Amy is a chef and nutrition professor, currently completing her PhD at the University of Toronto. She also works with HSI’s Forward Food program and as the director of the supper club program at Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto. Originally from Lambton County, her dad still lives on the family farm. Nate and Amy have two young boys. Nate Erskine-Smith is one of those rare members of parliament. He considers himself a loyal Liberal. But he will vote against his party when he thinks the leadership is wrong. That’s ensured two things: first, he’ll never be in Justin Trudeau’s cabinet, and second, he gets a lotta props from people who aren’t necessarily Liberals. In any event, it’s prompted Erskine-Smith to look at the vacant Ontario Liberal leadership post and in fact, he was the first candidate to toss his hat into the ring. Ontario Liberal leadership candidate Nate Erskine-Smith is pledging to create a provincially owned construction agency to build new affordable housing, part of the first major policy push of the campaign. Solving the housing problem in Ontario has become a central preoccupation for political parties at Queen’s Park, after Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives made housing construction a key focus of the party’s second term in office.

Lankathas Pathmanathan, Maria Saras Voutsinas, Bill Fastis, Neel Nanda, Sean Pickford, Isa Melo, Shahidul Islam Mintu, Arif Ahmed, and others asked a wide variety of questions on pertinent topics from housing to healthcare to public safety. Nathaniel Erskine Smith candidly answered all questions that were raised to him. He thanked NEPMCC to provide him with the opportunity to meet with the members of NEPMCC and mentioned he was open to ideas from the members regarding various aspects affecting the ethnic media industry in Ontario and Canada.

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Anthony Furey

The chair invited Anthony Furey and introduced him to the council.

Anthony Furey is a highly respected journalist, broadcaster, and commentator who is widely recognized for his expertise in politics and civic affairs. With over 15 years of experience, he has established himself as one of the most insightful and knowledgeable voices in Canadian media. As a political columnist for Postmedia, and Sirius XM Radio talk show host, Anthony has extensively reported on issues that affect the residents of Toronto, including public safety, infrastructure, and government accountability. He has covered numerous local and national elections, offering astute analysis and commentary on the candidates, policies, and outcomes. In his campaign for Mayor, Anthony is focused on championing policies that respect taxpayers, promote economic growth, and enhance public safety. He believes that Toronto is a world-class city that deserves world-class leadership and is committed to providing that leadership. Furey added: “Law enforcement and health professionals tell me that so many of these random attacks we’re seeing are related to the drug crisis. A compassionate society doesn’t keep people on drugs. It helps them get off from drugs. And by doing that, we also make our streets safer.” He mentioned that he not in favour od adding injection sites but in total agreement for mandatory treatment and complete rehabilitation. He mentioned that he will ask accountability from Metrolinx for not completing the Eglinton LRT in time and budget. He mentioned he hoped to ass 500 more Police officers in Toronto, by maintaining a hiring freeze and not replacing administrative jobs once an employee leaves or retires.

Lankathas Pathmanathan, Hon Joe Volpe, Maria Saras Voutsinas, Neel Nanda, and others raised some questions on pertinent issues facing the city of Toronto with the Mayoral candidate and thanked him for his time.

President Thomas encouraged all the members to attend the monthly meeting as it is for the benefit for all members. The next meeting would take place in person at City Hall and members outside Ontario will be connected by a live video stream.

New Business/Discussions

The chair asked if there are any new business for discussion, as nobody asked for the floor, the Chair moved to next item. Maria Saras Voutsinas gave everyone an update on the various ongoing projects under NEPMCC.

Adjournment:

Tom Bijvoet moved a motion to adjourn the meeting and Yuri Natchetoi seconded it. The motion was carried. The Chair, Dr. Tajdolati adjourned the meeting at 8:30 PM. The next monthly meeting will take place on Monday, July 10, 2023, at City Hall

The above notes from the meeting of June 12, 2023, were prepared by Secretary General and Senior VP of the NEPMCC, Neel Nanda.

Minutes of the May 08 2023 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the May 08 2022 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on May 08, 2023, through video conference via Zoom

Present/Attendees

Thomas S. Saras

Mohammad Tajdolati

Neel Nanda

Maria Saras-Voutsinas

Rosemary Sadlier

Ricky Castellvi

Hon. Joe Volpe

Hon. Basilio Giordano

Daniela Sprilac

Michael Li

Helen Wang

Rue Hayer-Bains

Zuhair Alshaaer

Elsayed Nasr

Ned Blair

Jonathan Annobil

Shahidul Mintu

Deborah Shatz

Kamalavasan Navaratnam

Pooyan Tabatabaei

Martha Pinzon

Nishantha Don

Lankathas Pathmanathan

Linda Karuks

Liisa Qureshi

Zenaida Ferry-Kharroubi

George Guzmas

Roberto Hausman

Arif Ahmed

Fiza Syeda

Denis Poirier

Ragee Arasaratnam

Lydia Sun

Leila Monteiro Lins

Mohammed Bagher Samimi

Ali Mahmoud

Ghulam Rasool

Anfisa Lyasota

Ranjit Wicks

Sandie De Freitas

Norman Hart

Kathy Lin

Teshome Woldramanuel

Khalid Magram

Mooka Tamil

Bobby Wang

Maria Swietoizacki

Mike Kolososki

Susana Donan

Ernesto Donan

Khalid Hamid

Nagamany Logendralingam

Hermie Garcia

Mila Garcia

Eugenia Bakchinow

Michael Li

Sima Ghaffarzadeh

Cezar Bangu

Zuhair Alshaaer

Rui Yang

HaiTien Lin

Isa Melo

Yuri Natchetoi

John Saraidaris

Said Henry

Lui Queano

Tom Bijoet

Dimitri Papadopoulos

Ahmad Shah Hotaki

Kathy Gerasklis

Athanasios Kourtesis

Bill Fatsis

Nishantha Don

Agenda of the day

Welcome Remarks by the chair.

Minutes of the previous meeting

President’s Report/Discussions

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Mitzie Hunter

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Mark Saunders

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Josh Matlow

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Bradford

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Olivia Chow

New Members/New Business

Adjournment

Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Mohammed Tajdolati chaired the virtual monthly meeting and declared the meeting open. Bill Fastis moved a motion to approve the agenda. Yuri Natchetoi seconded it. The motion was carried unanimously.

Minutes of the previous meeting:

Hon. Joe Volpe moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly meeting and Yuri Natchetoi seconded it. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were approved unanimously.

President’s Report/Discussions:

(President Saras was away to represent NEPMCC in Ottawa)

Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the online monthly meeting of April. He discussed that he is wrapping up the end of the fiscal year reports.

President Saras and Chair Tajdolati reminded members of the annual membership fees for 2023.

President Thomas Saras informed the members under LJI, there are three computers available for members who applied.

President Thomas Saras expressed disappointment as very few members have applied for the Student Internship program. He mentioned that this program may be terminated due to lack of participation.

President Saras encouraged participation in the Student Internship program. It has been a remarkably successful project and both students and publishers are benefiting immensely.

President Thomas Saras would send invitations to all three levels of government for the Press Freedom Week celebration.

President Thomas Saras informed the members about the Business Innovation Program.

Tentative date for the celebration of Freedom of the Press Day is marked for the third Friday of May 2023. Food and beverages would also be served at the event.

President Saras asked that all those with requests for LJI equipment upon approvals to come to the office of NEPMCC to pick up their gear.

President Saras mentioned that the LJI applications will be uploaded shortly and will advise the group once they can download the application.

President Saras explained that audits for the various programs we are administrating are happening.

President Saras reminded all participants in the LJI and Internship programs that they must declare on their outlets that they are receiving financial assistance from the Government of Canada. Maria shared a link to the Government of Canada site with the logo and statement that must be declared.

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate MPP Mitzie Hunter.

The chair Mohammad Tajdolati introduced Mitzie Hunter to the council and invited her to make her presentation.

She began her address by mentioning that on May 10 she will be stepping down as a MPP because she wants to run for the Mayor of Toronto.

Her Six Point priorities includes:

Affordable housing and renter protection.

Getting Toronto moving,

Safety, homelessness, and mental health

Improved City services

Green Vibrant City

Transparency in governance and budget.

She emphasized mayor of the city, she will focus on the issues that matter most, ranging from affordable housing to public safety to transit accessibility, and more. She mentioned her plan is fully costed to fix the issues and is available at www.mitzieformayor.ca

Sean Pickford, Neel Nanda, Maria Saras Voutsinas, and others asked a wide variety of questions on issues facing the city.

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Mark Saunders

The chair invited Mark Saunders to make his presentation.

Mark Saunders has dedicated his life to serving and protecting the people of Toronto of every ward and every neighbourhood of the city. For 38 years, he served as a police officer and led the Toronto Police Service as its first Black Chief of Police. For too long, the status quo politicians have failed Torontonians. Mark is ready to bring a new approach to City Hall that is focused on building a safer, more affordable, and livable Toronto. Mark believes public safety is a fundamental human right, and the government’s most basic responsibility is to ensure residents are safe and secure. Every day, he felt the responsibility of putting his life on the line to protect the public and get the bad guys off the streets. While other people ran from danger, Mark ran towards it. Mark joined the Toronto Police Service right after graduating high school. He worked his way up the ranks, serving in the Intelligence Services for specialized investigations against organized crime, the Professional Standards Unit, the Emergency Task Force responding to high-risk emergency situations, the Community Safety Command, and the Urban Street Gang Unit. He was Unit Commander of the Homicide Squad before attaining the rank of Deputy Chief.

This election, Toronto has a stark choice. It’s a choice between the failure of the status quo and a bold viable plan and Mark Saunders mentioned he has robust plan and experience in the administration to make TTC and Toronto safe again.

Hon. Joe Volpe, Maria Saras Voutsinas, Bill Fastis raised some pertinent issues facing the city of Toronto with the Mayoral candidate and thanked him for his time.

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Josh Matlow

The chair invited Josh Matlow to make his presentation to the council.

As a Mayor, Josh Matlow will fight for a better Toronto. A Toronto that is safe, affordable, and livable for all Torontonians.

Housing: Comprehensive Housing Plan He mentioned that will addresses both the urgent housing and homelessness crises facing Torontonians today with an investment of $407.6 million to lower the cost of housing, support homeless residents and create more great places to live in neighbourhoods that include childcare, schools, infrastructure, and parks. This will be funded through the Community Health & Safety Fund and City Works Fund

Environment: TransformTO Funding. The first plank of our environment policy includes a $200 million annual investment to ensure Toronto can meet its TransformTO commitment to be net zero by 2040.

Transit: He advocated that will reverse TTC cuts and return service to pre-pandemic levels so that it’s easier for all to get around the city.

This will be funded through the City Works Fund, and later through the climate action levy. He mentioned that he will launch a comprehensive transportation network in Scarborough that includes a connected network of public transit routes (with over 40 stops) and cycling and walking trails that will shorten commute times and improve quality of life.

Ontario Place: He advocated that he would stop Doug Ford’s plan for a private spa at Ontario Place by withholding 16 acres of City-owned property to ensure that everyone has access to this important part of the waterfront.

Community Health & Safety Fund: He will establish a $115 million fund to address well-known risk factors for criminal behaviour, including poverty, racism, and trauma, which will make the TTC and city safer.

Bill Fastis and others asked pertinent questions to the Mayoral Candidate Josh Matlow. Josh Matlow answered all questions addressed to him.

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Brad Bradford.

Mayoral candidate Brad Bradford mentioned that he understands the challenges the city is facing because his young family lives them every day. Trained as an urban planner and having spent a term on City Council, Brad said he knows first-hand that City Hall is obsessed with talk, debate, and deferrals rather than the solutions we need right now. As s next generation leader, he has the energy to hustle, roll up his sleeves and get stuff done, he mentioned.

Maria Saras Voutsinas and others asked questions to the Mayoral Candidate Brad Bradford, and he categorically answered all questions addressed to him.

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Olivia Chow

The chair invited the former MP and Mayoral Candidate to make her presentation.

Olivia is running to be Toronto’s next mayor and to make the city more caring, affordable, and safer for everyone. A city where everyone belongs. Throughout her life and career, Olivia has been motivated by one thing: making life better for the people in her community. That’s what drives her. As an advocate, school board trustee, Toronto City Councillor, member of the City’s budget committee, and local Member of Parliament, she has taken on some of our city’s biggest challenges and delivered solutions that make people’s lives better, she mentioned. Olivia knows people are feeling frustrated by the state of our city – we’re all tired of feeling stuck. Stuck in traffic, stuck waiting for the bus, stuck not being able to afford a home, or stuck on waiting lists for childcare, or other basic services. That’s not acceptable in a city with so much potential.

Born in Hong Kong, Olivia moved to Toronto with her parents when she was thirteen. She lived in St. James Town, and her mother’s income as a maid supported her family. Times were difficult, she mentioned. In 2006, Olivia took her fight to Ottawa as a Member of Parliament. Recognizing the needs of the constituents in her Toronto riding, she introduced legislation for universal childcare, and improving public transit. Olivia married Jack Layton in 1988, and they forged one of Canada’s most remarkable political partnerships. Together they inspired millions of Canadians to fight for progress and hope for the future.

As mayor, Olivia Chow will make Toronto a more affordable, safe, and caring city.

Maria Saras Voutsinas, Bill Fastis, Sean Pickford, and others asked questions on a wide variety of topics including advertising by the City Hall in ethnic media publications.

New Business/Discussions

The chair asked if there are any new business for discussion, as nobody asked for the floor, the Chair moved to next item. Maria Saras Voutsinas gave everyone an update on the various ongoing projects under NEPMCC.

Adjournment:

Bill Fastis moved a motion to adjourn the meeting and Kathy Lin seconded it. The motion was carried. The Chair, Dr. Tajdolati adjourned the meeting at 8:30 PM. The next monthly meeting will take place on Monday, June 12, 2023, at City Hall

The above notes from the meeting of May 08, 2023, were prepared by Secretary General and Senior VP of the NEPMCC, Neel Nanda.

Minutes of the April 17 2023 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the April 17 2022 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on April 17, 2023, through video conference via Zoom

Present/Attendees

Thomas S. Saras

Mohammad Tajdolati

Neel Nanda

Maria Saras-Voutsinas

Rosemary Sadlier

Ricky Castellvi

Hon. Joe Volpe

Hon. Basilio Giordano

Daniela Sprilac

Michael Li

Helen Wang

Rue Hayer-Bains

Zuhair Alshaaer

Elsayed Nasr

Ned Blair

Jonathan Annobil

Shahidul Mintu

Deborah Shatz

Kamalavasan Navaratnam

Pooyan Tabatabaei

Martha Pinzon

Nishantha Don

Lankathas Pathmanathan

Linda Karuks

Liisa Qureshi

Zenaida Ferry-Kharroubi

George Guzmas

Roberto Hausman

Arif Ahmed

Fiza Syeda

Denis Poirier

Ragee Arasaratnam

Lydia Sun

Leila Monteiro Lins

Mohammed Bagher Samimi

Ali Mahmoud

Ghulam Rasool

Anfisa Lyasota

Ranjit Wicks

Sandie De Freitas

Norman Hart

Kathy Lin

Wais Popalzai

Teshome Woldramanuel

Khalid Magram

Mooka Tamil

Bobby Wang

Maria Swietoizacki

Mike Kolososki

Susana Donan

Ernesto Donan

Khalid Hamid

Nagamany Logendralingam

Hermie Garcia

Mila Garcia

Eugenia Bakchinow

Michael Li

Sima Ghaffarzadeh

Cezar Bangu

Zuhair Alshaaer

Rui Yang

HaiTien Lin

Isa Melo

Yuri Natchetoi

John Saraidaris

Said Henry

Lui Queano

Tom Bijoet

Dimitri Papadopoulos

Ahmad Shah Hotaki

Kathy Gerasklis

Athanasios Kourtesis

Bill Fatsis

Nishantha Don

Agenda of the day

Welcome Remarks by the chair.

Minutes of the previous meeting

President’s Report/Discussions

Presentation by David Valentin -Principal, Liaison Strategies

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Ana Bailao

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Erwin Sniedzins

New Members/New Business

Adjournment

Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Mohammed Tajdolati chaired the virtual monthly meeting 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:

Ranjith Wicks moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly meeting and Kathy Lin seconded it. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were approved unanimously.

President’s Report/Discussions:

Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the online monthly meeting of April. He discussed that he is wrapping up the end of the fiscal year reports.

President Saras and Chair Tajdolati reminded members of the annual membership fees for 2023.

President Thomas Saras informed the members under LJI, there are three computers available for members who applied.

President Thomas Saras expressed disappointment as very few members have applied for the Student Internship program. He mentioned that this program may be terminated due to lack of participation.

President Saras encouraged participation in the Student Internship program. It has been a remarkably successful project and both students and publishers are benefiting immensely.

President Thomas Saras would send invitations to all three levels of government for the Press Freedom Week celebration.

President Thomas Saras informed the members about the Business Innovation Program.

Tentative date for the celebration of Freedom of the Press Day is marked for the third Friday of May 2023. Food and beverages would also be served at the event.

President Saras asked that all those with requests for LJI equipment upon approvals to come to the office of NEPMCC to pick up their gear.

President Saras mentioned that the LJI applications will be uploaded shortly and will advise the group once they can download the application.

President Saras explained that audits for the various programs we are administrating are happening.

President Saras reminded all participants in the LJI and Internship programs that they must declare on their outlets that they are receiving financial assistance from the Government of Canada. Maria shared a link to the Government of Canada site with the logo and statement that must be declared.

Presentation by David Valentin -Principal, Liaison Strategies

David Valentin suggested of conducting a poll on behalf of NEPMCC on the Mayoral election in Toronto from a sample size of 1000. He requested from insights on the questions if any raised by the readership and audience of NEPMCC.

Hon. Joe Volpe, Lamkathas Pathmanathan, Arif Ahmed, Bill Fastis and others participated in the discussions and asked pertinent questions on the scope of the poll.

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Ana Bailao

The chair Mohammad Tajdolati introduced Ana Bailao to the council and invited her to make her presentation.

Ana Bailão has a plan to build a Toronto where every resident, no matter their background or where they came from, has access to high-quality services, an affordable roof over their head, reliable, safe transit, and opportunities to succeed. As a Deputy Mayor, housing expert, city-builder, and immigrant from a working-class family, Ana knows how to deliver for

Torontonians. Ana is running for Mayor because she knows services are not working like they should.

People are paying more, and they are getting less. She is committed to building a city where every fifteen-year-old has a fair chance to build their lives, their families, their homes, and their careers in Toronto, as she was able to. Her background and the opportunities she has had have shaped her love for Toronto.

Bill Fastis, Roberto Hausman, Lankathas Pathmanathan, Kathy Gerasklis and others asked a wide variety of questions on issues facing the city. Ana Bailao candidly answered all the questions that were raised to her by the members.

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Erwin Sniedzins

The chair invited Erwin to make his presentation.

Erwin is running to be effective for people with Special Needs, whether physical, emotional,or financial

Erwin Sniedzins mentioned that he has solutions for: –

“Affordable housing that pays for itself

A TTC that is safe and better for all – now!

A revamped TTC that will save $1 billion dollars.

Lower taxes and increase city revenues.

Enhance police services to reduce crime.

Hon. Joe Volpe raised some pertinent issues facing the city of Toronto with the Mayoral candidate and thanked him for his time.

  New Business/Discussions

The chair asked if there are any new business for discussion, as nobody asked for the floor, the Chair moved to next item.

Adjournment:

Arif Ahmed moved a motion to adjourn the meeting and Kathy Lin seconded it. The motion was carried. The Chair, Dr. Tajdolati adjourned the meeting at 7:15 PM. The next monthly meeting will take place on Monday, May 08, 2023, via Zoom.

The above notes from the meeting of April 17, 2023, were prepared by Secretary General and Senior VP of the NEPMCC, Neel Nanda.

Minutes of the February 13 2023 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the February 13 2023 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on February 13, 2023, through video conference via Zoom

Present/Attendees

Thomas S. Saras

Mohammad Tajdolati

Neel Nanda

Maria Saras-Voutsinas

Rosemary Sadlier

Ricky Castellvi

Hon. Basilio Giordano

Daniela Sprilac

Michael Li

Helen Wang

Rue Hayer-Bains

Zuhair Alshaaer

Elsayed Nasr

Ned Blair

Jonathan Annobil

Shahidul Mintu

Pooyan Tabatabaei

Martha Pinzon

Nishantha Don

Lankathas Pathmanathan

Linda Karuks

Liisa Qureshi

Zenaida Ferry-Kharroubi

George Guzmas

Roberto Hausman

Arif Ahmed

Fiza Syeda

Denis Poirier

Ragee Arasaratnam

Lydia Sun

Leila Monteiro Lins

Mohammed BagherSamimi

Ali Mahmoud

Ghulam Rasool

Anfisa Lyasota

Ranjit Wicks

Sandie De Freitas

Norman Hart

Kathy Li

Teshome Woldramanuel

Khalid Magram

Mooka Tamil

Bobby Wang

Maria Swietoizacki

Mike Kolososki

Hon. Joe Volpe

Susana Donan

Ernesto Donan

Khalid Hamid

Nagamany Logendralingam

Hermie Garcia

Mila Garcia

Eugenia Bakchinow

Michael Li

Sima Ghaffarzadeh

Cezar Bangu

Zuhair Alshaaer

Rui Yang

HaiTien Lin

Isa Melo

Yuri Natchetoi

John Saraidaris

Said Henry

Lui Queano

Tom Bijoet

Dimitri Papadopoulos

Ahmad Hotaki

Kathy Gerasklis

Athanasios Kourtesis

Bill Fatsis

Nishantha Don

Agenda of the day

Welcome Remarks by the chair.

Minutes of the previous meeting

President’s Report/Discussions

New Members/New Business

Adjournment

Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Mohammed Tajdolati chaired the virtual monthly meeting and declared the meeting open. Roberto Hausman moved a motion to approve the agenda. Tom Bijvoet seconded it. The motion was carried unanimously.

Minutes of the previous meeting:

Yuri moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly meeting and Mintu seconded it. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were approved unanimously.

President’s Report/Discussions:

Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the online monthly meeting. He discussed that he is wrapping up the end of the fiscal year reports.

President Saras and Chair Tajdolati reminded members of the annual membership fees for 2023.

President Saras asked that all with requests in for LJI equipment and approvals come to the office to pick up their gear.

President Saras mentioned that the LJI applications will be uploaded shortly and will advise the group once they can download the application.

Special Measures funding was discussed and funding figures will be made available to all that applied shortly. Funding must be given out by the Ministry by the end of March 2023

President Saras encouraged participation in the Internship program. It has been a very successful project and both students and publishers are benefiting immensely.

May 3^rd is Freedom of the Press Day- we will be hosting an event to celebrate Freedom of the Press. We will also take the opportunity to hand out awards during this event. Nominations will be accepted immediately. Save the Date: the evening of May 5^th. Details will be shared with all shortly regarding the venue.

President Saras moved a motion to expense food and drinks for the event. It was approved and accepted unanimously.

President Saras explained that audits for the various programs we are administrating are happening.

President Saras reminded all participants in the LJI and Internship programs that they must declare on their outlets that they are receiving financial assistance from the Government of Canada. Maria shared a link to the Government of Canada site with the logo and statement that must be declared.

President Saras expressed his desire to visit the members in BC in the spring. Rue will discuss the logistics with President Saras and she suggested that the meetings happen in Surrey.

Saras reminded everyone that 2023 is an election year for the Board. He encouraged all to email him with their intention to run.

President Thomas Saras thanked all the members who generously donated to NEPMCC. Although the industry and our members are struggling financially, he encouraged everyone that can do so to donate.

  New Business/Discussions

Ned Blair spoke about the passing of David Onley. Mr. Saras and Ricky Castellvi signed the condolence book on behalf of the NEPMCC. Mr. Saras also attended the funeral.

Logan asked about having cultural dancers perform at the Press Freedom event in May. Mr. Saras welcomed the idea and asked that members contact him with suggestions. He asked that all dance routines be no more than 5 minutes.

Adjournment:

Roberto Hausman moved a motion to adjourn the meeting and Zuhair Alshaaer seconded it. The motion was carried. The Chair, Dr. Tajdolati adjourned the meeting at 7:15 PM. The next monthly meeting will take place on Monday, March 13, 2023, via Zoom.

The above notes from the meeting of February 13, 2023, were prepared by Maria Saras-Voutsinas on behalf of Secretary General and Senior VP of the NEPMCC, Neel Nanda.

Minutes of the July 11 2022 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the July 11 2022 Monthly Meeting

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting held on July 11, 2022, through video conference via Zoom

Present/Attendees

Thomas S. Saras

Mohammad Tajdolati

Neel Nanda

Maria Saras-Voutsinas

Rosemary Sadlier

Ricky Castellvi

Hon. Basilio Giordano

Daniela Sprilac

Michael Li

Helen Wang

Rue Hayer-Bains

Zuhair Alshaaer

Elsayed Nasr

Ned Blair

Jonathan Annobil

Pooyan Tabatabaei

Nishantha Don

Lankathas Pathmanathan

Linda Karuks

Liisa Qureshi

Zenaida Ferry-Kharroubi

George Guzmas

Serge Vankevich

Roberto Hausman

Martha Pinzon

Arif Ahmed

Essie W

Fiza Syeda

Denis Poirier

LIYANA ARACHCHIGE WASANTHI

Arash Kharabi

Ragee Arasaratnam

Lydia Sun

Leila Monteiro Lins

Mohammed BagherSamimi

Ali Mahmoud

Ghulam Rasool

Anfisa Lyasota

Ranjit Wicks

Sandie De Freitas

Norman Hart

Kathy L. L. Li

Wais Popalzai

Teshome Woldramanuel

Khalid Magram

Mooka Tamil

Bobby Wang

Maria Swietoizacki

Elizabeth Muzalc

Mike Kolososki

Hon. Joe Volpe

Susana Donan

Ernesto Donan

S. Krishnalingan

Khalid Manan

Khalid Hamid

Nagamany Logendralingam

Hermie Garcia

Mila Garcia

Nawrin Farah

Eugenia Bakchinow

Mizhard Bagant

Michael Li

Sima Ghaffarzadeh

Cezar Bangu

Gezahegn Mekonnen Demissie

Saad Alsafar

Rui Yang

HaiTien Lin

Kumanan Thnambi

Kathy Wang

Isa Melo

Thavapalan Kathiravelu

Yuri Natchetoi

John Saraidaris

Said Henry

Lui Queano

S. Krinalingam

Kumayan Thambi

Najibullah Popalzai

Hannan Mamun

Nobodip News

Ali Mahboub

Mulugeta Zergaba

Margaret Bonikowska

Denis Brito

Stensont A

Geetha Nangarajh

Syed Irbal

Bobby Wang

Muhammad Naeem Ul Islam

Foe Jole

Tom Bijoet

Thanapalan Kathivarelu

Dimitris Vohaitis

Dimitri Papadopoulos

Daril Brar

Ahmad Rostamijam

Lalit Thakkar

Lawrence Joseph

Ronny Yason

Khuvan Aftab

Abdul Azeem

Qazi AFRASIAB

Nawrin Farah

S Krishnalingam

Shaiful Horn

Helen Wang

Shail Prasad

Ahmad Hotaki

Thomas Galgor

S. Sivamohan

Kathy Gerasklis

Athanasios Kourtesis

Kumanan Thambi

Tamil Muraka

Solomon Areinu

Michael Li

Deborah Shatz

Ramsankr Sivanathan

Bety Glothai

Nishantha Donsiyambalapitiyage

George Bakoyannis

Salah Allam

Stena Allam

Elizabeth Muzale

Eduardo Vieira

Denis Poirier

Liyana Arachchige Wasanthi

Agenda of the day

Welcome Remarks by the chair.

Minutes of the previous meeting

President’s Report/Discussions

New Members/New Business

Adjournment

Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Mohammed Tajdolati chaired the virtual monthly meeting 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:

Kathy Gerasklis moved a motion to approve the minutes of the previous monthly meeting and Shahidul Islam Mintu seconded it. Minutes of the previous monthly meeting were approved unanimously.

President’s Report/Discussions:

Thomas Saras welcomed everyone to the monthly meeting of July 11, 2022. He highlighted the achievements of the Council over the past few years and specially during the pandemic when members faced additional challenges. He praised the arduous work and dedication of all members who contributed towards its success and specially mentioned Maria Saras Voutsinas who has been tirelessly working for the members during the pandemic. Maria Saras-Voutsinas informed the internship programme has started this year.

President Thomas Saras mentioned about the Canada Day event on July 8 at the Greek Community Centre. The event was a success as the arrangements were elaborate and lavish for members who attended. He however expressed disappointment that many members who had confirmed their attendance did not show up. This was an opportunity missed by the members who failed to attend and deprived the opportunity to others who could have attended the Canada Day celebrations as the event was limited for invited guests only.

Motion: There were discussions on the CNE participation. The office of the President of NEPMCC suggested to hire at least two (2) members who would work at the CNE booth of NEPMCC during the CNE days in 2022 from August 19 to September 5. The motion to this effect was moved by Roberto Hausman and seconded by Yuri Natchetoi. The motion was unanimously carried.

President Thomas Saras updated the members on the financial year 2022-2023 for NEPMCC. He mentioned that members who were approved for the LJI would receive their cheques in the following weeks.

Motion: President Thomas Saras brought to the table the inauguration of NEPMCC booth at the CNE in August. To this regard there would be a reception on Saturday August 20,at 12:00 noon, for the attending members of NEPMCC. Rosemary Sadlier moved the motion and Arif Ahmed seconded it. The motion was unanimously passed.

CNE is a great stage to highlight the strength of NEPMCC and Ethnic Media in Canada and President Thomas reminded members to drop their copies for the NEPMCC booth at CNE. This year CNE is back and is expected to have thousands of visitors each day.

Thomas Saras thanked all the members who donated to NEPMCC. He appreciated their generous donations to organization.

President Thomas Saras reminded members the annual membership fees for 2022. Many members mentioned the significance and benefits of being a NEPMCC member. NEPMCC has tirelessly worked for decades to educate and influence Governments to take Ethnic Media industry very seriously.

President Thomas Saras mentioned that next year NEMCC will host a 3–4-day educational seminar in Toronto. Daniela Spirlac would send questionaries to the members for need analysis on the interest of members.

Members were also reminded to update all their contact information with the office of the President and Daniela Spirlac.

President Thomas Saras suggested in creating a fund to help international journalists who are being persecuted and tortured in various countries worldwide.

Saras informed the members that the LJI budget has been increased for the current year and for the next business year. He encouraged members that have not already done so to apply for funding. He also explained that the Internship Program will continue and that NEPMCC is currently waiting for its approval. Once the approval is received for the next cycle, all qualifying members will be encouraged to apply for it. He mentioned that NEPMCC has already received several applications on file and those that are approved will be funded once the program begins.

President Saras emphasized that funds allocated under various projects would only be distributed to members who qualify for it

Thomas Saras urged the members to participate in different projects that are available. If there is lack of adequate participation, the funds would go back to its source and in future the allocations of such funds could be limited.

Members who wish to participate in projects undertaken by NEPMCC (other than the LJI) must be in good standing and abide by all the codes governing the council. They should also pay all membership dues.

President Thomas Saras mentioned that LJI payments will be made in 2 weeks.

President Thomas Saras continued to educate members on various projects undertaken by NEPMCC and especially on the LJI. President Thomas Saras informed about the local initiative program The Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) supports the creation of original civic journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada. Funding is available to eligible Canadian media organizations to hire an unemployed journalist or pay freelance journalists to produce civic journalism for underserved communities. The content produced will be made available to media organizations through a Creative Commons license so that Canadians can be better informed. He mentioned under this program a publisher can hire qualified journalist or a journalistic student in the final year and get up to a maximum of $30,000 per year. He mentioned that the program has been phenomenally successful. He hoped that the program will continue to receive funds in future. The program also pays for mailing expenses of the copies of the publication to remote communities and provides special prepaid kits to members participating in the program.

The president also encouraged all the members to apply for an ID or Media Pass of the organization. There are so many benefits; the president said that it is to one’s advantage to have it.

  New Business/Discussions

Maria Saras -Voutsinas updated on the various steps taken by NEPMCC to further the cause of the members. She mentioned that NEPMCC is working with industry partners to bring free newspapers under the ambit of Aid to Publishers this year.

Maria Saras mentioned about Google Grant that is available for media in Canada. More in formation on how to access and apply for this grant would be sent via email.

Adjournment:

Arif Ahmed – moved a motion to adjourn the meeting and Hon Joe Volpe 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 Monday, August 08, 2022, via Zoom.

The above notes from the meeting of July 11, 2022, were prepared by Secretary General and Senior VP of the NEPMCC, Neel Nanda.

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Minutes of the January 15, 2024 Monthly Meeting

Present/Attendees

Agenda of the day

Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Minutes of the previous meeting:

President’s Report/Discussions:

New Business/New Members:

Adjournment:

Minutes of the December 11, 2023 Monthly Meeting

Present/Attendees

Agenda of the day

Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Minutes of the previous meeting:

President’s Report/Discussions:

New Business/New Members:

Adjournment:

Minutes of the October 16 2023 Monthly Meeting

Present/Attendees

Agenda of the day

Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Minutes of the previous meeting:

President’s Report/Discussions:

New Business/New Members:

Adjournment:

Minutes of the August 14 2023 Monthly Meeting

Present/Attendees

Agenda of the day

Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Minutes of the previous meeting:

PreSENTATION BY JOSEE SHANKS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CANADIAN HERITAGE:

Canada Periodical Fund

Objectives of Business Innovation

Canada Periodical Fund (CPF)

Canada Periodical Fund (CPF)

Canada Periodical Fund (CPF)

Periodical Eligibility

Magazine Eligibility – Print

Magazine Eligibility – Digital

Community Newspapers Eligibility – Print

Community Newspapers Eligibility – Digital

Eligible Projects

Changes 2023-24

Eligible Project

Eligible Expenses

In-Kind Expenses

Project Examples

Deadline

Portal

Contact

President’s Report/Discussions:

Adjournment:

Minutes of the July 10 2023 Monthly Meeting

Present/Attendees

Agenda of the day

Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Minutes of the previous meeting:

President’s Report/Discussions:

Presentation by TBDC –Toronto Business Development Centre

OINP –ESI (Entrepreneur Success Initiative)

OINP –ESI (Entrepreneur Success Initiative)

New Business/Discussions

Adjournment:

Minutes of the June 12 2023 Monthly Meeting

Present/Attendees

Agenda of the day

Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Minutes of the previous meeting:

President’s Report/Discussions:

Presentation by Nathaniel Erskine Smith MP Beaches East York and leadership candidate for Ontario Liberal Party.

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Anthony Furey

New Business/Discussions

Adjournment:

Minutes of the May 08 2022 Monthly Meeting

Present/Attendees

Agenda of the day

Welcome Remarks by the Chair:

Minutes of the previous meeting:

President’s Report/Discussions: (President Saras was away to represent NEPMCC in Ottawa)

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate MPP Mitzie Hunter.

Presentation by Toronto Mayoral Candidate Mark Saunders

President’s Report/Discussions:

(President Saras was away to represent NEPMCC in Ottawa)