On Canadian Multiculturalism Day, British Columbians are being encouraged to nominate multicultural champions whose exceptional work in their communities across the province helps to promote inclusion and cultural diversity.
British Columbians have until September 26 to nominate individuals, organizations or businesses to receive a British Columbia Multicultural Award. The awards will be presented at the British Columbia Multicultural Awards ceremony during B.C.’s Multiculturalism Week in November.
Five categories are open for nomination – individual, business, organization, youth and multicultural excellence in government. Award recipients in the first four categories will receive $5,000 to be donated to a non-profit organization of their choice to further support the work of multiculturalism in the province, and all award recipients will take home a trophy.
For more information about the awards, eligibility requirements and to submit a nomination visit: www.gov.bc.ca/BritishColumbiaMulticulturalAwards
Past award recipients include:
Crecien Bencio, a community development worker in the Renfrew-Collingwood neighbourhood of Vancouver who focuses on community capacity-building through projects that celebrate diversity through literacy and visual and performing arts;
Vancouver Co-operative Radio, a multi-lingual, non-profit community radio station that provides the Greater Vancouver area with independent public affairs, music and arts programming;
and Nana’s Kitchen and Hot Sauces Ltd., founded in 2001 by two women originally from East Africa. Today, Nana’s Kitchen employs 35 production workers made up of mostly immigrant women who lacked work experience and English-language skills when they were initially hired.
The provincial government, with advice and support from the Multicultural Advisory Council, organizes the British Columbia Multicultural Awards to honour and celebrate British Columbia’s cultural diversity.