CEMA Awards Gala a resounding success

December 8, 2016

The 38th Annual Canadian Ethnic Media Association Awards Gala, held recently at the National Event Venue in Toronto, attracted a packed audience. During the evening the Lifetime Achievement Award, named in honour of the founder of CEMA — Seirhey Khamara Ziniak — was presented to Sid Ikeda.

Mr. Ikeda is involved in numerous organizations, including the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre. He is also a founding member of the Canadian Multicultural Council-Asians in Ontario.madelinesid

CEMA’s 38th annual Sierrhey Khmara Ziniak award recipient Mr. Sid Ikeda Sid (centre) is flanked by (L-R) CEMA’s chair Madeline Ziniak and Dr. Joseph Wong, recipient of the 2015 Sierhey Khmara Ziniak Award.

Among those in attendance at the gala were a number of politicians and diplomats. For the first time five Centennial College journalism students attended the event as special guests of Jules Elder, an instructor at Centennial College and a CEMA board member.

One of the students, in a thank-you note, said the value of ethnic media was ever present at the gala. And it was a reminder to all that the inclusiveness of diverse voices is the root sentiment of journalism and equality.