The Guyana Awards Council (Canada) has announced the winners of the prestigious 2009 Guyana Awards and National Scholarships to be presented at a Gala on Saturday, May 23, 2009 at the Inn On the Park, Centennial Ballroom in Toronto. The guest of honour at the ceremonies under the auspices of Honorary Counsel General Danny Doobay will be the Honourable Prime Minister Sam Hinds.

The Guyana Awards Gala marks the kick-off of the annual Guyana Independence Celebrations, initiating a host of events across Canada that culminate in the 3-day Guyana Festival from June 20-22.

The awards acknowledge the outstanding achievements of distinguished individuals and organisations in the Guyanese-Canadian community, and their sterling contributions toward the promotion and development of Guyana, Guyanese heritage and culture.

The high calibre of this 9th annual awards attests to the depth of the outstanding talent in the Diaspora. This year’s awardees make up another plank in instilling a greater sense of pride in the Guyanese-Canadian community and proving positive role models for our youth.

The judging was done by an independent panel of eminent judges who made the final selections of the 2009 Award recipients from the many nominations submitted. The panel was composed of the Honourable Justice Vibert Lampkin, retired Judge of the Ontario Court of Justice; Gale Lee, Programe Manager for Asia and the Caribbean, CESO and former Acting Ambassador to Brussels; and Ken Singh, President, Atlas Cargo and member of the Advisory Council, York University.

This year’s winners were:
 LEADERSHIP AWARD: MR. FAREED AMIN, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing

 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: MAYOR JOHN RODRIGUEZ, Mayor of the City of Greater Sudbury

 ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD: DR. ANNE DIPCHAND, Associate Professor in Paediatrics, University of Toronto; Staff Cardiologist, Hospital for Sick Children; Head of the Heart Transplant Programe, Hospital for Sick Children; Associate Director, SickKids Transplant Centre.

 SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: DR. JOHN FARLEY, Epidemiologist and Specialist in Infectious Diseases

 BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARD: MR. CHRIS MOHAN, President/Owner, Maple Leaf Wheelchair Manufacturing Inc.

 COMMUNITY SERVICE (INDIVIDUAL) AWARD: MS. JOY SIMON, President, Guyanese Canadian Community Centre; Vice-President, Alliance of Guyanese Canadian Organizations; Founder/Owner, Bourda Green Nutrition

 MEDIA & CULTURE AWARD: MR. HARRY RAMKHELAWAN, INDO CARIBBEAN WORLD NEWSPAPER

LEADERSHIP AWARD:
MR. FAREED AMIN, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing
After 20 years in the Ontario Public Service, Fareed Amin was appointed Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing effective December 8, 2008. He had previously served as Deputy Minister in five ministries or portfolios, including Citizenship and Immigration; Intergovernmental Affairs; Small Business and Entrepreneurship; and as Deputy Minister responsible for Seniors and for Women’s Issues.

Prior to his recent appointment, Mr. Amin was Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of International Trade and Investment, where he guided the conception, development and implementation of an ambitious $1.15 billion programe designed to foster innovative businesses and create well-paying, sustainable jobs. The programe supports the establishment of ‘green’ products, efficient technologies, health cures and treatments, and is unique in that it provides companies and businesses with a single point of contact and a service delivery guarantee. These improvements have re-defined how government works with the business community to optimise prosperity-enhancing ideas and innovation.

While Deputy City Manager for the City of Toronto, Fareed Amin was responsible for corporate oversight, administrative governance, and coordinating the collective expertise on major city-wide initiatives and projects. His portfolio at the City included Building, City Planning, and the Waterfront Secretariat.

Mr. Amin has a Masters of Public Administration from Queen’s University in Kingston,

Ontario, a Certificate in Public Administration from the University of Toronto, and an

undergraduate degree in Applied Geography and Planning from the University of Guyana. He is President of the Islamic Institute of Toronto, and is married with three children.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
HON. JOHN RODRIGUEZ, Mayor of the City of Greater Sudbury, Ontario
John Rodriguez received his elementary and high school education in Guyana and emigrated to Canada in 1956. After attending Teachers’ College in Toronto, he began his teaching career in St. Catharines, Ontario and moved to the Town of Coniston in 1962 where he assumed the role of Principal of St. Paul School. His leadership abilities and passion for community eventually led him to political life, first as a Member of Municipal Council in Coniston and later as Member of Parliament for the riding of Nickel Belt.

During his 18 years in federal politics, Mr. Rodriguez worked to improve the economic well-being of the Sudbury area and the quality of life of its citizens. A vibrant and respected politician, he served on numerous Standing Committees, including: Finance; Trade and Economic Affairs; Labour; Employment and Immigration; Regional Development; Indian Affairs and Northern Development; Single Industry Communities and Regional Economic Expansion.

In 2006, John Rodriguez re-entered the local political arena when he was elected Mayor

Of the City of Greater Sudbury—an office that oversees the trillion-dollar Sudbury Basin, the richest mining district in North America. A strong advocate for community growth and

development, he has worked diligently to shape the community’s strategy for growth in areas such as mining and mining research, health care, arts and culture, and recreation.

Mayor Rodriguez is a former member of the Board of Governors of the Ontario

Teachers’ Federation, past President of both the local and provincial Catholic Teachers’ Unions, and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and Spanish Literature from Laurentian University. A long-time volleyball coach, he and his wife, Bertilla, have five sons and five grandchildren.