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Cover page
Annual Report
2013
2014
2 2
Mission
To recognize and support the right of every cultural group and individual to retain and develop their
distinctive cultural identity, language and arts without political or social impediment - for the mutual
benefit of all citizens.
Mandate
To eliminate discrimination and racism by working towards the promotion of intercultural relations,
understanding and acceptance, and fostering changes in policies, programs and legislation that will
result in a fair and equitable society where all individuals can participate fully.
Looking to Jump
Start your Career?
SIA offers a variety of
Employment Programs
specifically designed for
Newcomers. Many
programs offer financial
assistance to those who
qualify.
SIA’s Education Programs are
a great way to learn something
new, have fun and make new
friends! Our Programs provide
exciting learning opportunities
to both Newcomers and/or the
general public.
SIA’s English Programs are
taught by qualified instructors
who specialize in teaching
English to Newcomers. Classes
are offered in a variety of
locations in Saskatoon.
Looking to Improve
Your English Skills?
Want to Learn
Something New?
What We Do
Community Service Upon Request - SIA offers Community Outreach Programs which are designed
to promote diversity, acceptance and multiculturalism. These services are available to the public upon
request and can be tailored to suit your organization’s needs.
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Afghanistan
Armenia
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Benin
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma
Cambodia
China
Colombia
Congo
Cote D’Iviore
Cuba
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Ethiopia
Japan
Pakistan
Peru
Philippines
Russia
Saudi Arabia
Serbia & Montenegro
Somalia
South Korea
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Syria
Taiwan
Thailand
Turkey
Tunisia
Ukraine
Venezuela
Vietnam
Ghana
Germany
Guatemala
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Italy
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Liberia
Libya
Lithuania
Mauritius
Mexico
Moldova
Mongolia
Nepal
Nigeria
Who We Serve Over the past year, the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association served clients from over 50
countries around the world. Below is a listing of the home countries of our clients.
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Celebrating 50 Years of Embracing Interculturalism
A Short History of SIA
The Saskatchewan Intercultural Association was originally
established in 1964, as a means of sharing culture and
connecting through the performing arts. Originally titled the
Saskatoon Folk Arts Council, the group was involved in
large scale networking to locate groups to perform in the
1967 National Centennial Celebrations, as local
representatives were invited to Ottawa to plan activities. Not
long after, a
national group was
established and
formally
registered, the
Canadian Folk Art
Council (CFAC).
The newly formed
Folk Arts Council’s
primary goal was
the development
and promotion of
yearly
“spectaculars”
which included 15-
20 affiliated
performing groups.
The 1966
showcase honoured the province’s Diamond Jubilee. This
production was also noted for its inclusion of the first set of
“ethnic histories” in its program, including brief personal
accounts of Jewish, Ukrainian, Greek and French
immigrants.
During the 1970’s, the organization shifted its focus toward
the Federal Government’s multiculturalism policy, as
developed under Prime Minister Trudeau. This decade saw
the organization, working in the context of national and
provincial developments, enlarge the scope of its activities
and restructure its mandate. Under the new directive the
organization coordinated the first Multiculturalism
conference in Saskatchewan. This conference brought
together hundreds of participants to promote common goals
for cultural diversity. The conference led to the passing of
the Saskatchewan Multicultural Act of 1973/4.
To coincide with its advocacy for a multicultural policy in
Saskatchewan, the 1980’s saw a structural shift toward the
promotion of better race and cultural relations. This evolved
into a transformation of the organization into the
Saskatchewan Intercultural Association. Moreover, a new
race and ethnic relations policy was adopted as the
underlying premise of all programing and advocacy
henceforth undertaken by the organization.
Even with all the changes occurring within the organization,
SIA continued to sponsor performing arts workshops for
member groups and coordinated numerous special
performances for conferences, conventions, meetings,
nursing homes, schools, etc.
Public engagement continued to be a core concern for the
organization and In the late 1980’s, a periodical in SIA’s
Outreach magazine entitled ‘Multiculturalism’, was written as
a special 25th Anniversary project. ‘Multiculturalism’ offered
a platform for open discussion and debate on cross-cultural
and intercultural issues, cultural preservation and
development, and the promotion of intercultural
understanding, sensitivity and acceptance.
The hallmark of ‘new multiculturalism’ was a concern
for heritage languages. The first National Heritage Language
Education Seminar held in 1981, focused emphasis on the
concern in Saskatoon. Recognition by the Saskatoon Public
School Board of SIA’s Multilingual School in 1986 was a
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great step forward for SIA’s heritage languages
programming. Classroom space provisions and the creation
of a Heritage Language Coordinator provided professional
development for the Multilingual School; speaking both of
SIA’s leadership effectiveness and commitment to
multiculturalism in the public school system.
Once these new structural foundations were in place, SIA
experienced a substantial growth in the quantity and quality
of the programs being offered. During the late 1980’s, the
development of innovative programs and activities reflected
the ‘new multiculturalism’ by entrenching more substantive
aspects that follow the national picture. This trend continued
into the 1990s, and while maintaining strong established
programs, such as performing arts and heritage language
education. The Association successfully planned and
developed new programming in employment, language
skills, youth programs and various other areas.
Throughout the 1990’s, special projects were underway in
relation to the requests for presentations on race relations
and cultural diversity from a variety of elementary schools in
the city. SIA developed a
variety of workshops to
businesses, unions,
professional associations,
community and other
groups to bring awareness
to issues of racial
discrimination. The
continuation of the Race
Relations Workshop
Program continued
throughout the 1990s,
eventually including
organized meetings
between senior officials in
the media, education,
mental health and the
justice system in addition
to organized collaboration with the Saskatchewan Human
Rights Commission.
While continuing their focus on community outreach, during
the millennial years, SIA put a new emphasis on building
partnerships with various other organizations in order to
provide exceptional support for newcomers. The
Association sought and built positive partnerships with ethno
-cultural groups, community organizations, government, civil
society, and the private sector, leading to improved service
delivery, client satisfaction and efficiency of services.
The years 2009-2014 included the creation and expansion
of two core language programs within SIA. Both the “Stage
1 English” and “Language Instruction to Newcomers of
Canada” (LINC) programs were developed and launched
with overwhelming success. These programs continue to
provide free language instruction for adults, helping learners
improve basic language skills needed for day-to-day living.
In addition, other programs were developed to assist
newcomers in
meeting their
employment goals.
SIA enhanced and
developed
programs to
address the labour
market shortage in
the province as a
result of the
economic boom.
2014 marks the 50th Anniversary of the Saskatchewan
Intercultural Association. Through this time SIA has
transformed from a performing arts group to a structured
and successful organization, providing a number of services
to newcomers in the community. Many things have
changed since 1964, from the location of the Association’s
head quarters to the political and economic atmosphere in
which the organization operates. Despite the extensive
changes the organization has undergone and experienced,
SIA has continued to stay true to its roots and still holds the
core values of promoting cultural diversity and eliminating
race discrimination close its core.
Message from the President
SIA Board of Directors 2013 – 14 President
David Parkinson
University of Saskatchewan
Vice - President
Tracy Muggli
Saskatoon Health Region
Treasurer
Winnie Mutswangwa
BHP Billiton Canada Inc.
Secretary
Sam Sambasivam
Retired
Past President
Jay Kalra
Saskatoon Health Region
Directors
Ana L. Jurado
Saskatoon Co-op
Gerlinde Sarkar
GEOMARC Technologies Inc.
Karl Martens
Robertson Stromberg LLP
Sadeq Rahimi
University of Saskatchewan
Ron Wheeler
University of Saskatchewan
Carlos Alberto Guzman
Perez
EcoLibra Systems
Raj Dhir
Retired
Daniel Rubiolo
GeoServa Exploration Ltd.
Caroline Cottrell
University of Saskatchewan
Pratyush Das
Tourism Saskatchewan
Peter Grant
University of Saskatchewan
Darron Taylor
Saskatoon Regional Economic Devel-
opment Authority 6
I am honoured to extend best wishes to our membership and the community on the occasion of marking 50 years of service by the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association (SIA) in the areas of the arts, multiculturalism, equity and antiracism, settlement and educational programming.
SIA has faced changes and challenges faced over the past year as we offered new programming, expanded existing programming and, in some cases, changed direction to meet the needs of a constantly shifting cultural landscape. SIA has had the opportunity to play a part on the provincial and national stages, support the arts and undertake anti-racism education activities through our Equity and Anti-Racism Committee.
This year will see SIA hosting two major events to celebrate our 50th anniversary. The first event will be our
Celebrating Canadian Multiculturalism Day on June 29th at Meewasin Park from 1 - 4 PM. This event is intended to mark Canadian Multiculturalism Day in conjunction with our 50th Anniversary by reaching out to the general public, Newcomers, First Nations peoples, our sister community-based organizations and various levels of government. There will be a free BBQ, entertainment and activities for the children. Please join us for this celebration! The second event will consist of a dinner and SIA community recognition awards followed by a performance by the renown world music group Delhi to Dublin (called “the United Nations of rock and roll”) to be held at Prairieland Park on September 12 th (please contact SIA for ticket details or see our web site).
Finally, this momentous year in the history of SIA sees us collaborating with the Kinsmen Club of Saskatoon and other community organizations in
a unique venture to provide a new home for our organizations as part of the proposed Shared Learning Commons – a collective learning space to be located at 20th Street and Avenue M South. More details will be forthcoming in the near future.
As SIA embarks on its second half century of service, we endeavor to forge a closer relationship with our clients, members, partners and funders. I extend my best wishes and the best wishes of our staff to our members and community-at-large, and hope to see you at our special events this year.
With best regards,
David M. Parkinson President
Message from the Executive Director For over five decades, the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association has had a rich history of helping people meet their settlement, integration, career and education goals and I am honoured to be a part of this dedicated organization and reporting on its activities in its 50th anniversary.
The SIA team had a very busy year running, enhancing, and developing, programs. With our newly developed organizational chart, we restructured our team to be more efficient in addressing the needs of our clients and participants.
Our employment unit successfully piloted the Learning Interculturalism through Employment (LITE) Program and for the first time and we ran an extra intake of the Mentorship Program to address the needs of immigrant professionals. In the upcoming year an
extra intake of LITE will replace the MYWAY Program to help more comprehensively address clientele needs and is aligned with the Canada’s Economic Action Plan.
In our Youth program unit, adjustments were made considering the needs of the current populations and existing gaps and new proposals were developed. We expanded our ConnectED program to involve both boys and girls and gained approval for a new program called; STrengthening the Relationships Of Newcomer Generations (STRONG).
We continue to expand our English classes to offer full-time class options and are proposing to offer Stage II English next year.
SIA hosted a film festival in honor of the elimination of racism during the month of March in collaboration with Broadway Theatre, and also hosted several Equity and Cultural Diversity workshops to promote equity and anti-racism in the community.
SIA played a role nationally and provincially in 2013 and 2014 through
my position on the board of directors of Saskatchewan Association of Immigrant Settlement and Integration Agencies (SIASIA), and Immigrant Access Fund (IAF), and participation in the National Settlement Conference in Ottawa last November to address Saskatchewan’s perspective and requirements in regard to immigrant settlement and integration.
I invite you to review the 2013 - 2014 highlights in the following pages which outlines the many initiatives, service developments and activities that occurred in this past year. Thank you to the people we support and their families, our employees, volunteers, partners and funders. With your continued involvement and support we look forward to another rewarding year!
Warmest regards,
Mahasti Khakpour, Executive Director
Shiva Akhlaghipour
Gina Bak
Nora Becker
Shahzadi Bilquis
Ben Bodnaryk
Gabrielle Bouchard
Toni Chasmar
Jennifer Divall
Mo Edabi
Layial El-Hadi
Charlotte Garrett
Jess Hamm
Ryan Jimmy
SIA
Sta
ff 2
013 -
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John Johnson
Todd Johnson
Amee Joshi
Golsa Kafili
Akmla Kamboh
Smriti Karki
Mahasti Khakpour
Shu-Huei Lin
Imran Mahmood
Nadia Maqbool
Aasa Marshall
Scott Mickelson
Taryn Millard
Samreen Mubarik
Zoe Silindimb Mukura
Kent Ritchie
Jessica Rynn
Musarrat Saeed
Haven Seto
Lubna Sheikh
Elena Tenorio
Cheryl Woelk
Tehreem Zafar
Ling Zhang
Nafiseh Zamani
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Employment Programs SIA offers a variety of employment services to assist unemployed Canadian newcomers by
providing client-tailored and innovative employment programs that offer opportunities for
valuable work experience, language training and professional connections.
Mentorship is a work readiness program designed for people who have received some or all of their
education and work experience from outside of Canada, and now want to gain Canadian work experience in
their areas of training.
MYWAY (Moving Young Women's Aspirations to Reality) is an employability and life skills
development program for young immigrant and refugee women with little to no post-secondary education.
LITE (Learning Interculturalism Through Employment) in an innovative
program that combines employment training with intercultural learning. The program
provides useful insight into the skills necessary to find and keep employment in
Canada’s increasingly diverse work force.
Connector - a networking initiative to help internationally-trained professionals establish and build
professional networks in their fields of expertise. This program aids in creating useful professional
connections that will enhance their understanding of what they can do to secure employment in their area of
expertise.
ELT (Enhanced Language Training) - is an intensive career development and language enhancement
program, offered in partnership with the Saskatoon Open Door Society. The program allows participants to
gain knowledge of the Canadian workplace and culture, while developing professional connections.
Success through Mentorship:
Tetiana's story: I was born and spent most part of my life in Ukraine. In my home country I had a profession as a graphic designer and worked at a newspaper for many years. When our family decided to move to Canada I hoped that my profession would be in demand and I would find a position in my field easily. However when we arrived to Canada a year ago and I started to look for a job, I was faced with problems. I sent a lot of resumes and even went to some interviews but there was no result. All companies in design field needed a Canadian work experience which I didn't have. Then I came to Ukrainian Canadian Congress and got advice from a counsellor to apply to the Mentorship Program at Saskatchewan Intercultural Association (SIA). The counsellor ensured me that the program would be very beneficial in my case.
So I was happy that I was accepted into the nearest session in September 2013. That program included 8 weeks of classes that focused on resume writing and interview skills, job search techniques, Canadian workplace culture and some other topics. Also all the students had the possibility to take English classes in the afternoon to improve their speaking ability. After that in-class portion I've got a work placement at PGI Printers. That was a great chance to utilize my professional skills and gain Canadian work experience. I think it helped me to get a job, when I applied to a position of graphic designer at Saskatoon Express Newspaper. As it can be seen from my story the Mentorship program is a very successful project that helps people who receive their professional skills in other country to get a job in their field in Canada.
Tetiana Morozova Graphic Designer
Tetiana volunteered
her skills as a
graphic designer to
help the staff at SIA
put this Annual
Report together. She
designed the front/
back covers and
helped develop the
layouts of the
internal pages.
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Engaged 142
Professional Career Mentors
58 Work Placements
Secured Including:
University of Saskatchewan,
SNC Lavalin, Royal Bank, ALS Global,
Allnorth Construction, RBM
Architecture, City of Saskatoon,
Saskatoon Public School Division &
many more...
Employment Programs 145 Workshops Successfully
Delivered Covering 37 Different
Topics Including;
Financial Literacy, Occupational Health and
Safety, Cultural Diversity, Unions, Public
Speaking, Worker’s Compensation, &
Human Resources
212 Clients successfully served by the employment unit
194 Provided
Over 1,265 Employers
Contacted
Clients with Professional Careers
Assisted 138 Clients Develop
Career Paths
English Language Programs SIA offers a variety of English language and Literacy instruction programs focused on helping the
learner achieve English Language proficiency. SIA offers English as a second language classes at
many different locations around Saskatoon. SIA offers the LINC (Language Instruction for
Newcomers to Canada) program funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and Stage 1
English funded by the Government of Saskatchewan. A client’s English proficiency is assessed at
the Newcomer Information Centre (NIC) and are placed in the appropriate language levels. New
participants can join classes at anytime as classes are ongoing.
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Igor’s Story:
Success through
SIA LINC classes I was born
and spent
most part of
my life in
U k r a i n e .
When I was a
child, I studied
English at school. I continued my
studying at the University and the
medium of instruction there was also
English. Unfortunately, af ter
spending so many academic years
completing all my courses in English,
I was just able to read and write but
not speak in this language. However,
I was not much concerned about this
issue at Ukraine as I was enjoying a
successful career there being the
supervisor at of a well renowned
company. Trouble struck when our
family decided to immigrate to
Canada. With my limited English, it
was difficult to enjoy the same
position there. As a result, I decided
to take some additional English
courses in my home country. I made
some progress, but I still couldn’t
speak it fluently and confidently.
From the very first day in Canada it
became obvious that my English
wasn’t good enough. I went to
Newcomer Information Centre for
language assessment. They advised
me to take LINC classes at
S a s k a t c h e w a n I n t e r c u l t u r a l
Association. This recommendation
helped me to get rid of all my worries
about settling in an English speaking
environment. SIA introduced me
with a friendly atmosphere and
professional instructors, two things
that are vital to create a reliable
learning environment. I must say that
I was welcomed and treated great
and language classes at SIA helped
me to get my confidence back. My
teachers equipped me with the
techniques for everyday English
usage by teaching functional themes
and giving learning opportunities in
real life contexts. I especially enjoyed
the respect and celebration of
cultural diversity at this organization.
I made good progress week by
week. I noticed that it not only helped
me in my everyday life but also
brought fruitful results in furthering
my career. I am satisfied with my
decision to join SIA. I would not
hesitate to recommend others to get
assistance from this community
based organization as it gives all
newcomers the great opportunity to
learn English and to get involved in
Canadian society.
Falguni’s Story: A Stage 1
English Student
I am from India. I came to
Canada
three years
ago. I like
Canada
because I
like
Canadian
people, I
like its facilities like buses,
schools, colleges, different
classes for different activities,
English and cooking classes.
But all things are dependent on
good English and I told you I
am Indian so my mother
tongue is Hindi so English was
very difficult for me and my
family. But when we came here
we were surprised. Because my
brother told me that I was
required to have registration for
free English classes. That time
I was worried because I knew
that my English is not very
well that’s way I was nervous.
I said real thanks to my brother
for getting the information.
Then we did registration in
career center and I did my
exam and I got my level.
After all I got my English
classes. My English teacher’s
name is Imran. He is a good
teacher. After attending these
classes, I was able to speak
English for my everyday usage.
When I go anywhere I can try
to talk in English. Also I got
my job after starting my class. I
really surpassed because my
English class is very helpful for
everyday life matters.
Therefore, I would advise that
everybody needs to learn
English for social as well as
professional needs. I am very
happy with my life, family,
classes and job so I am very
lucky. Once again thanks to
Saskatchewan Intercultural
Association for my English
classes.
English Language Programs Below are cumulative statistics from all SIA English language
programs.
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Stage 1
English Average
monthly
enrollment
167%
Increase in
LINC program
offerings in
2013 –14
485 Total number of clients
served by SIA language
programs
87
Learning Field Trips:
Library visits
Grocery stores
Banks
Coffee shops
Malls
Parks
Movies
Bowling
Civic centres
Children’s Festival
Fire station
Broadway Street
Fair
Potlucks
BBQ parties
Number of field
trips taken by SIA
English Language
Programs
Ice skating
Wanuskewin
Leisure centre
Saskatoon Police
presentations
First Nation and
Metis Friendship
Centre
Financial literacy
training
River Landing
Leisure Centres
Local stores
RCMP visits
4100 Number of child
minding hours paid to support adult
learners
20
stud
ents
New ways developed to
present materials in LINC??
This year LINC integrated the use
of Moodle, an e- platform that
allows students and educators
login and interact with each
Increase in seats in LINC in 2013 –14: From 42 to 94 seats!
Number of students who achieved a CLB level this year: 112
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10
ConnectED is a summer program for newcomer teenage girls (ages 13 - 18 years) that com-
bines educational programming with recreational activities and personal development. This
program ran during the summer months of July and August on weekdays from 9:30 am to
3:00 pm.
trips to
the library
3 16
Percentage of
girls who met new
friends in
ConnectED
100 42
20ish
Number of hours the ConnectED girls learnt about Canada
3S’mores
Campfires
Out of town field trips; Regina
Science Centre, Fort Battleford
and Pike Lake (camping)!
T shirts tie-dyed
8 Days spent hanging out without parents
9
girls
Ice cream
cones purchased
Number of tornados built
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Youth Program
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Global Movement Global Movement is a program run in partnership by the Saskatchewan Intercultural
Association Inc. (SIA) and the Saskatoon Public School Division in which cultural performing
arts are made easily accessible to Saskatoon elementary school students. This program aims
to unite youth of all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds through participation in a
program where they will learn new skills and cultural knowledge together. Global Movement
is a program that provides an opportunity for youth to learn about a variety of cultures,
develop new friendships, and increase their self-esteem while enjoying a healthy activity.
This program allows students to take part in cultural
activities that are not traditionally offered in Saskatoon
schools. Participating in this program will not only
increase awareness of ethnic dance, music and
recreation, but also further social interaction amongst
Canadian-born, immigrant, and refugee students in
elementary schools. This year, two SIA performing art
groups (Chinese Martial Art Academy and Del Mundo
Dance Academy) offered instruction to the students of
Alvin Buckwold and Fairhaven elementary schools.
Each school offered a fall and winter session
consisting of nine classes per session. Then students
showcased what they had learned in each section at a
school assembly where other students, educators,
volunteers and parents could see their progress and
learn about the program.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Matthew participate in the
Chinese Martial Arts assembly on Friday. It was very touching
to watch him join in with his classmates and he did such a
great job! This is the kind of integration that allows for Autistic
children like Matthew to not only feel included, but also be
successful.
I am a strong believer that educating our youth about other
cultures is so important. It not only inspires children to become
more engaged with the world around them, it also encourages
them to embrace diversity. This is encouraging to the mother
of a unique and special Autistic boy, like Matthew.
Sincerely, Sarah Arntsen
Performing Arts The Performing Arts Committee promotes
multiculturalism through fine arts, crafts,
and performing arts by developing programs
and booking of performing arts services for
conferences and other special events. It also
develops and oversees educational projects
and programs (multicultural education) and
develops promotional materials relating to
the committee’s mandate.
SIA organized cultural
performances for the Canada Day
celebration in Diefenbaker Park on
July 1st, 2013. The following
performing Arts Groups performed
at the Canada Day celebrations:
1. Heritage Chinese Language School
2. Chinese Language School of Saskatoon
3. DancEqypt Dance Co.
4. Scottish Country Dancers
5. Oriental Dance Arts
6. Punjabi Cultural Association of Saskatchewan
7. Filipino Heritage School
8. Living Sky Taiko
9. Saskatoon International Folk Dance Club (TZAHALAH)
10. Del Mundo Dance Academy
11. Brady Academy of Irish Dance
12. Al Amar Dance Theatre
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Saskatoon Multilingual School The Saskatoon Multilingual School (SMS) is one of the
SIA’s longest ongoing programs established in 1983.
This program runs as a committee (chaired by Eleanor
Shia), and has been fundamental in achieving SIA’s
goal of increasing cross-cultural awareness,
understanding and providing opportunities for youth in
Saskatoon. SMS is funded by the Ministry of
Education and Saskatchewan Organization for Heritage
Languages (SOHL), and receives tremendous support
from the Saskatoon Public School Board.
The Saskatoon
Multilingual School is
aimed at promoting
learning Heritage
languages in Saskatoon
by publicizing the
program, booking
classes for active
Multilingual Schools,
helping Saskatoon
communities to
establish new
language schools
and providing the
students certificates
for accomplishing
their heritage
language learning.
Newly established schools include; the Saskatoon Latin
School, Somalian Language School, Marifa Language
School, and Bangla Academy School.
Saskatoon Multilingual School’s Multicultural Choral Concert 2014:
This year, the Saskatoon Multilingual School its the 11th
Annual Choral Concert (funded by SOHL and hosted by
SIA), in the celebration of Heritage Language Day on
Saturday, March 8, 2014 in the Castle theatre of the
Aden Bowman Collegiate in Saskatoon. Around 250
students from 14 language schools participated in this
culturally diverse concert and gave wonderful
performances. The
event was attended by
450 who enjoyed the
event and great success
of the students from
Saskatoon Multilingual
School.
Spring workshop: The language Schools
’ teachers have the opportunity to
attend a workshop each year funded by SOHL and
hosted by SIA to update their knowledge in teaching
heritage languages. This year, the workshop was held
on March 29, 2014 and focused on Using Shared Book
Reading for Heritage Language Reading
Comprehension Instruction & Language Experience
Approach for Teaching Heritage Language and Literacy
Skills. Dr. Fatima Pirbhai
-
Illich from the University of
Regina presented the workshop and provided valuable
information to the teachers.
“On behalf of the Chinese Language
School of Saskatoon, I want to express
our tremendous appreciation to the
Saskatoon Multilingual School, and
Saskatchewan Intercultural Association
for all the hard work your organization
had done for the promotion of heritage
languages in Saskatoon over these many
years. A big thank you from us!”
In 2013—14 approximately
80 referrals have been
made through SIA to the
language schools.
SMS, in partnership with the Saskatchewan
Organization for Heritage Languages (SOHL),
and with the support of the Saskatoon Public and
Catholic School Boards has been the pillar for all
the Heritage Schools is Saskatoon. Without their
support and encouragement Brasinha would not
be able to promote and disseminate the
Portuguese language (Brazil); teach, maintain
and/or enhance the Portuguese language; give
students of Brazilian background opportunities to
enhance their cultural identity; and foster
understanding of the vast cultural diversity of
Brazil
On behalf of BRASA members, Brasinha
students, parents, teachers, and volunteers I
want to thank and congratulate SMS for all the
support we’ve received during these past years.”
Sueli de Freitas-Brazilian Association of
Saskatoon – BRASA
In 2013/14 SMS had 33active schools
offering instruction in 29 different
languages with more than
1000 youth and adults taught by
over 180 volunteer
teachers!
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The four films viewed at the event
included:
The Reluctant Fundamentalist -
followed by a panel discussion on Islamic
perspectives and misunderstandings with
Muslim faith.
Rabbit - Proof Fence - followed by a
panel discussion on First Nation and Metis
perspectives and the effects of residential
schools on these communities.
The Gran Torino - followed by a panel
discussion on the difficulties new immigrants
face as well as multiculturalism in Canada
and the effects of diverse cultures.
Crash - followed by a panel discussion on
racism as well as a tribute to the life of
Nelson Mandela.
EAR’s Reel to Real Film Festival: Confronting Racism Through Film
One of the Equity and Anti-Racism (EAR) Commit-
tee’s annual commitments has been planning an
event to commemorate the International Day for the
Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This year a film
festival was organized by the Committee titled; From
Reel to Real in Confronting Racism through Film.
This event was held at the Broadway theatre from March
20 - 23, 2014 and included a public viewing of four films,
followed by panel discussions on issues concerning race,
racism, and multiculturalism. Each panel discussion was
followed by a question and answer period, where panel-
ists invited questions from the audience for about half an
hour before the event wrapped up.
16
Treasurer’s Report 2013 - 14
I am pleased to report on the financial performance of
the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association Inc. (SIA)
for the year ending March 31, 2014. For the 2013 -
2014 fiscal period, total revenue stood at $1.2 million,
an increase of approximately 14% over the previous
year. SIA continues to experience strong growth due to
an increased demand for its programs and services,
stemming from an increase in the immigrant population
in the province.
Expenses for 2013/14 were $1.1 million, an increase of
around 13% over the past year. Salaries, wages and
employee benefits represent the main operating
expense item at 76% of total expenses. Surplus for the
year is at $54,560, which is mainly a result of the timing
differences relating to project funds usage particularly
on capital acquisitions.
The revenue from the government grants is recognized
in the current year’s financial statements. However,
capital assets are amortized over a number of years,
resulting in only the prorated portion of the cost of the
asset being recognized in the current year and the
remainder of the cost being spread over the estimated
useful life of the asset.
The audit firm of Twigg & Company Chartered
Accountants audited the financial statements of SIA for
the fiscal year 2013- 2014 and issued a clean audit
opinion. This means that the financial statements are a
fair representation of the financial position of the SIA, in
accordance with Canadian Accounting Standards for
Not-For-Profit organizations.
This year, the SIA Finance and Administration staff is
continuing to focus on program-specific revenue and
cost allocation reporting and are working diligently to
streamline the internal summary financial reports for its
key programs and services.
On behalf of the Finance
Committee, I wish to thank
the Finance and
Administration staff for their
hard work and continued
efforts to improve the
financial reporting and
internal control processes of
the Saskatchewan
Intercultural Association.
Winnie Mutswangwa
Treasurer
10 year Analysis of Revenue vs. Expenses of the Saskatchewan
Intercultural Association
17
TWIGG & COMPANY
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
650 REGENCY CENTER
J.S. TWIGG B.Comm., C.A. 333 - 25th STREET EAST
L.D. SAFINUK B. Comm., C.A SASKATOON, SK. S7K0L4
M. LINGARD B. Comm., C.A.
Independent Auditors’ Report
To the Board of Directors of Saskatchewan Intercultural Association Inc.
Report on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying financial statements of Saskatchewan Intercultural Association Inc., which com-
prise the statement of financial position as at March 31, 2014 and March 31, 2013 and the statements of operations,
changes in net assets and cash flows for the years ended March 31, 2014 and March 31, 2013, and a summary of sig-
nificant accounting policies and other explanatory information.
Management’s Responsibility for the Financial Statements
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these financial statements in accordance with
Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations, and for such internal control as management deter-
mines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatements, wheth-
er due to fraud or error.
Auditors’ Responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit
in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. Those standards require that we comply with
ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial
statements are free from material misstatement.
An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about amounts and disclosures in the financial
statements. The procedures selected depend on our judgement, including the assessment of the risks of material mis-
statement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, we consider
internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design
audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the
effectiveness of the entity’s internal control. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting pol-
icies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall
presentation of the financial statements.
We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit
opinion.
(continued on page 2)
18
TWIGG & COMPANY
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
650 REGENCY CENTER J.S. TWIGG B.Comm., C.A. 333 - 25th STREET EAST
L.D. SAFINUK B. Comm., C.A SASKATOON, SK. S7K0L4 M. LINGARD B. Comm., C.A.
Independent Auditors’ Report (continued)
(continued from page 1)
Basis for Qualified Opinion
In common with many non-profit organizations, the Association derives revenue from the public in the form of
donations, the completeness of which is not susceptible to satisfactory audit verification. Accordingly, our verifi-
cation of these revenues was limited to the amounts recorded in the records of the Association and we were not
able to determine whether any adjustments might be necessary to donation revenues, excess of revenue over ex-
penditures, assets and net assets.
Qualified Opinion
In our opinion, except for the effects of the matter described in the Basis for Qualified Opinion paragraph, the fi-
nancial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Saskatchewan Intercultural As-
sociation Inc. as at March 31, 2014 and March 31, 2013 and its financial performance and its cash flows for the
years ended March 31, 2014 and March 31, 2013 in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-
profit organizations.
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
June 18, 2014 Chartered Accountants
19
SASKATCHEWAN INTERCULTURAL ASSOCIATION INC.
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
for the year ended March 31, 2014
2014 2013
REVENUE:
Operational funding $ 20,000 $ 49,000
Membership dues 3,075 1,730
Donations and fundraising 9,640 29,833
Interest income 1,922 1,460
Other funding 11,668 11,869
Program funding (Schedule 1) 1,144,992 949,176
1,191,297 1,043,068
EXPENSES:
Advertising 955 512
Bad debt expenses 1,994 -
Bank charges 449 443
GST expense (non-reimbursable) 2,054 2,228
Membership fees 710 834
Office expenses 2,174 3,087
Parking and mileage 69 898
Professional fees 2,725 -
Program expenses (Schedule 2) 1,094,056 950,490
Purchase of equipment 5,449 11,937
Salary and wages 23,806 18,533
SIA events 2,251 18,369
Telephone and fax 45 776
Training - 88
1,136,737 1,008,195
EXCESS OF REVENUE OVER EXPENSES $ 54,560 $ 34,873
20
SASKATCHEWAN INTERCULTURAL ASSOCIATION INC.
STATEMENT OF UNRESTRICTED NET ASSETS
as at March 31, 2014
2014 2013
Balance, beginning of the year $ 298,776 $ 263,903
Excess of revenue over expenses
54,560 34,873
Transfer to internally restricted net as-
sets (Note 5) (11,429) -
Balance, end of year $ 341,907 $ 298,776
SASKATCHEWAN INTERCULTURAL ASSOCIATION INC.
STATEMENT OF NET ASSETS INVESTED IN CAPITAL ASSETS
as at March 31, 2014
2014 2013
Balance, beginning of the year $ 27,112 $ 19,617
Amortization of capital assets during
the year (13,839) (9,302)
Purchase of capital assets 21,861 16,797
Balance, end of year $ 35,134 $ 27,112
21
SASKATCHEWAN INTERCULTURAL ASSOCIATION INC.
STATEMENT OF INTERNALLY RESTRICTED NET ASSETS
as at March 31, 2014
2014 2013
Balance, beginning of the year $ - $ -
Transfer from unrestricted net assets
(Note 5) 11,429 -
Balance, end of year $ 11,429 $ -
22
SASKATCHEWAN INTERCULTURAL ASSOCIATION INC.
STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS
for the year ended March 31, 2014
2014 2013
OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Excess of revenue over expenses $ 54,560 $ 34,873
Changes in non-cash working capital
Balances related to operation:
Accounts receivable 35,282 28,953
Accounts payable 2,389 2,365
Prepaid expenses ( 215) 1,726
Deferred revenue 3,482 74,484
40,938 107,528
Total from operating activities 95,498 142,401
INCREASE IN CASH AND
EQUIVALENTS FOR THE YEAR 95,498 142,401
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS, BEGINNING OF YEAR 290,183 147,782
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS, END OF YEAR $ 385,681 $ 290,183
CASH AND EQUIVALENTS CONSISTS OF:
Cash $ 385,681 $ 278,792
Term deposits - 11,391
$ 385,681 $ 290,183
SUPPLEMENTAL CASH FLOW DISCLOSURE:
Interest paid 449 443
Income taxes paid NIL NIL
23
Shafii Mohamed
Rukhsana Irshad
Farrukh Syeer
Hayley St. Marie
Taraq Weisge
Eric Neudorf
Brittany Bay
Juan Pablo Carmona
Tasneem Islam
Purnima Rajbhandhary
Shrestha
Morgana Ximenes
Mshael Al Batati
A Special Thanks to Our Funders:
405 - 230 Avenue R South, Saskatoon, SK
Phone: 306.978.1818
www.saskintercultural.org
Office Volunteers 2013 - 14
Jacinda Scott
Victor Osagie
Laura Jones
Aimin Tian
Naqaa Abbas
Heidi Foth
Shakeel Ahmed
Yaqi Jing
Cooper Muirhead
Yaqi Jing
Siena Resus
Erica Morrill
Amada Guldiman