TORONTO, June 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- What does a hockey dad of three NHL stars, a mental health advocate, and an auto-dealer/Raptors “superfan” have in common? They all were once newcomers to Canada and have contributed to their communities through leadership and philanthropy, and now have been selected as winner in this year’s 10th annual RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards. The winners are being presented by Canadian Immigrant magazine and proudly sponsored by RBC Royal Bank.
From coast to coast, the 2018 RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrants are a reflection of Canadian culture, diversity, and nation-building spirit. From Karl Subban, an educator who has guided his three sons to NHL stardom, to Senator Ratna Omidvar, who has been a lifelong diversity advocate, to Dr. Saroj Niraula, an oncologist and researcher to just name a few.
For the last 10 years, the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards have highlighted stories of Canadian immigrants who have demonstrated incredible contributions and achievements in Canada. In addition to this year’s top 25 winners, 250 winners have been honoured over the last decade with this incredible achievement.
“Celebrating 10 years is a true milestone for our awards, and we couldn’t be prouder of the amazing immigrants who form this year’s RBC Top 25,” says Margaret Jetelina, editor, Canadian Immigrant magazine.
The RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award winners will be honoured at ceremonies in Toronto today, and in Vancouver on June 27. In addition to the top 25 winners, two winners will also be selected for special recognition, the RBC Entrepreneur Award and the Youth Award.
Kundan Joshi, is the fourth annual recipient of the RBC Entrepreneur Award for excellence in entrepreneurship.
Phillipines-born Loizza Aquino, 18, is the second annual Youth Award winner. From Winnipeg, she is the founder of the youth-led non-profit organization called Peace of Mind, which focuses on mental health advocacy.
“The RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards celebrate the outstanding accomplishments and leadership of newcomers across Canada. Now in its tenth year and with over 250 newcomers recognized, the Awards highlight our country’s diversity, and the contributions and positive impact newcomers have been making in our communities. Congratulations to all winners and nominees,” says Ivy Chiu, Senior Director, Newcomer Strategy at RBC.
Hundreds of nominations were received, from which 75 finalists were shortlisted by a diverse judging panel of past winners. Nearly 60,000 online votes were cast. The 25 winners were chosen based on a combination of votes and a second round of judging.
The RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award winners will receive a commemorative plaque and a $500 donation will be made toward a registered Canadian charity of their choice. Winners will also be featured online at canadianimmigrant.ca/rbctop25 and in the July print edition of Canadian Immigrant magazine. The awards program is supported by the Toronto Star, Metro, Omni, City TV, and SingTao.
NEW: Settlement Agency Award
Concurrent with the RBC Top 25 campaign this year, the Settlement Agency Award was introduced this year to recognize the amazing work immigrant settlement agencies are doing to help newcomers integrate and succeed in Canada. We invited nominations from across the country and the nominated agencies were posted for an online voting process. The winner of the first Settlement Agency Award is ISSofBC. Read more about the winning agency on the Canadian Immigrant website.
The RBC Top 25
Full biographies are available on the Canadian Immigrant website.
About Canadian Immigrant
Attracting more than 400,000 readers each month and over 100,000 visitors a month online, Canadian Immigrant is a national multimedia platform to help immigrants succeed in Canada, with content, resources and events on careers, education and settlement. Canadian Immigrant is the producer of the cross-country Career, Education and Settlement Immigrant Fairs. Canadian Immigrant is a division of Metroland Media Group, a dynamic media company with more than 100 community and daily newspapers in print and online, as well as innovative websites including wheels.ca, goldbook.ca, flyerland.ca and localwork.ca.
About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 81,000+ employees who bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank, and one of the largest in the world based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 16 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 34 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.
We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities. See how at rbc.com/community-sustainability.
For more information, contact:
Canadian Immigrant
Sanjay Agnihotri, 905-273-8153, sagnihotri@metroland.com
RBC
Sophie Connor, 647-823-4790, sophie.connor@rbc.com