Multicultural Top Choice Awards 2008
A Masterful Multicultural Mix
Although we praise multiculturalism in Canada it is sometimes hard to surrender ourselves to the full enjoyment of the cultures around us, but on Friday, November 7th, 2008 all that changed! Ethnic businesses and professionals from across the cultural spectrum of the Greater Toronto Area gathered to celebrate excellence in business at the 3rd Annual Multicultural Top Choice Awards.
Toronto, Ontario – November 10th, 2008 – On the world stage, the multicultural system is often doubted and renowned all in the same breath. It brings hope of cultural integration and the harmonious dream of absolute cultural tolerance, but it is also faced with social and political bias and the issue of potentially diluting the heritages of the integrated cultures. Sometimes the idea as a whole seems unnecessary and nigh impossible. But there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel and countless individuals and organizations who hold multiculturalism close to heart and fight for its continued adoption and acceptance.
One of those organizations is Top Choice Awards and one of those individuals is David Silvestre, the company’s Vice-president.
“I have always taken great pride in my culture and valued the importance of sharing it with others, at the same time I always appreciated other cultures equally and enjoyed learning from them. So when we started our award surveys back in 2004 it was natural for me to favour my own community, the Portuguese community, as the basis for the study.” says Mr. Silvestre. “Things were going great but I always had this multicultural idea sitting in the back of my mind, just waiting to get out – I thought that we should bring the survey to other communities and instead of separating them, mix them together.”
This “hopeless” idea is now a reality as Top Choice Awards recently finished the annual awards gala, for the 3rd consecutive year, named appropriately: The Multicultural Top Choice Awards. The annual awards gala celebrates the achievement of Top Businesses and professionals in the Greater Toronto Area – with international ventures in the near future – from across the cultural fabric. Their latest event is surely their most spectacular to date, catering to over 50 businesses and professionals from over 10 ethnic communities with special presenters Kin-Man Lee - Executive Vice President of Toronto Sun, Scott Fox & Ashley Greco - hosts of the Z103.5 Morning Show and Jim Cardinal - President of Cardinal Funeral Homes among others. Two special awards were presented to Toronto’s own Charles Khabouth - CEO of INK, for Businessman of the year and a Lifetime Achievement Award to Brazil’s Antonio Filho Oliveira “Careca” - International Soccer star, presented by none other than Dick Howard - Sports Analyst for TSN and FIFA Technical Appointee.
Putting all the glitter and glamour aside, the underlining importance of the event was multiculturalism and it was that which stood out above all else. To witness Chinese with Portuguese, South Asians with Italians, Jewish with Iranians, Polish with Hispanics and many other communities [in the same room at the same time] is a huge success for multiculturalists, but to see them celebrating, laughing and cheering each other on is a resounding victory for our community and our multicultural Canada.
