Members Communiqué # 6 – November 2017
ICCC Special General Body Meeting (SGM) on Nov. 4, 2017:
The SGM was called as per the Property Exploration Resolution of the AGM in April 2017 that appointed a special committee with Nitya Varma as Chairperson. This committee was given the mandate to explore a community centre arrangement (Physical Hub) with the City of Ottawa.
The purpose of this SGM was to present the committee’s report after six months. Nitya presented the report and asked the SGM for approval of the funds and terms and conditions to be proposed to the City. The SGM passed a resolution by majority voting i) approving the funding of $250,000 – $350,000 as ICCC’s contribution to the City, ii) enumerating the terms and conditions to be proposed to the City, and iii) appointing the President of ICCC to the Property Exploration Committee. The committee has been mandated to present its report at the AGM 2018.
Existing Initiatives:
Spiritual Hub:
· Meditation and Peace Garden is very much active in the ICCC vision. Architectural designs and cost estimates are being sought for the purpose of preparing a proposal for the land and potential donors and sponsors for this project.
Virtual Hub/ community Portal (https://icccottawa.org):
· Many events are happening in Ottawa among the Indo-Canadian community. ICCC is actively adding the community events on the web site for everyone’s benefit. Search is on for additional volunteers to scour the community websites to find information to populate the website with community events, news, etc.
Programs:
· Youth Scholarship project has been announced to Ottawa U, Carleton U, St. Paul U, and Algonquin College as well as to the Indo-Canadian community. A number of donors have come forward to donate into the “Scholarship Fund.” This program is gaining popularity among the community.
· “Canada 150/150 – Host a guest from a different culture” project – a collaborative venture of ICCC and The Festival of India Ottawa (renamed as The Great Festival of India), is progressing. Active promotion among seniors has resulted in a positive response. Participation from members in this program will ensure both the success of the program and increased profile of the community in the mainstream.
· ICCC Seniors had organized a very successful Diwali event at the Palki Restaurant with a great entertainment program, dinner and sweets at the end.
New Initiatives:
· “A History of Indo-Canadians in Ottawa” book project: The PDF version of the book is available for download on the website (https://icccottawa.org/freebook). To date, 120 persons have downloaded the PDF book. The authors have also applied for a City of Ottawa Heritage Funding Grant. The Grant approval will be known by February 2018. If the grant becomes available, this will help in researching community demographics data, updating the book, and publishing a print version of the book in summer 2018.
· Golf Tournament: ICCC is exploring a possibility of ‘Community Partnership’ with the “Brain and Mind Research Institute -The Ottawa Hospital” for a Charity Golf Tournament in May 2018.
· Awards Gala: ICCC is planning to hold a Gala in fall of 2018. The Planning Committee is working on various details. Community participation is invited.
ICCC Upcoming Events:
· ICCC is pursuing its vision of “a united Indo-Canadian community thriving in the mainstream,” by forging connections and building bridges with various Indo-Canadian groups. The Golf Tournament and Awards Gala initiatives are under way. ICCC would welcome additional proposals with commitments to develop community partnerships and launch collaborative/joint projects.
· ICCC Seniors have organized a multi-seminar workshop with lunch on November 17th. The following topics and speakers will make presentations:
o “Tips on Old Age Homes and facilities available to seniors” by a registered nurse, Ms. Poonam Sumra;
o “Downsizing your home” by realtor Monica Gupta; and
o “Tips on doing small maintenance and repairs in your house” by Narinder Garg.
Community Events and ICCC’s participations:
· ICCC took part in the traditional National Diwali Celebrations on 16th & 18th of October at the Parliament Hill.
· ICCC sent Diwali Greetings to its members, seniors, all Indo-Canadian organizations as well as to India friendly organizations, MPs, Senators and other VIPs.
· ICCC donated to the CKCU Funding Drive for the two programs: Aap-ki-Farmaish and An Indian Morning.
Appeal for Volunteers:
This and previous Communiques to the membership are your new ICCC Board’s efforts to connect, communicate and collaborate with the community in numerous ways. Your feedback, ideas and participation, especially as a volunteer for various projects will be greatly appreciated. Please contact a Board member directly and/or encourage your friends, families and acquaintances to visit https://icccottawa.org website, and let us know how and you can generously help ICCC towards accomplishing its vision ”a united Indo-Canadian Community thriving in the Mainstream.”
Any questions or comments to:
Aasha Mehta
Director of Communications
Indo-Canadian Community Centre
613-823-4002
https://icccottawa.org