table of contents - saskatchewan intercultural association...the treasurer stated that it was an...

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Table of Contents

2015 Annual General Meeting Agenda -------------------------------------------- 3

2014 Annual General Meeting Minutes --------------------------------------------- 4

Message from the President ---------------------------------------------------------- 8

Message from the Executive Director ----------------------------------------------- 10

Mission and Goals ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 11

SIA Bylaw Changes ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 12

Employment Programs ----------------------------------------------------------------- 16

Language Programs --------------------------------------------------------------------- 18

Youth Programs --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20

Intercultural Programs ------------------------------------------------------------------ 22

Treasurer’s Report ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 25

Financial Statements -------------------------------------------------------------------- 27

Board of Directors Slate 41

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2015 Annual General Meeting Agenda

Date Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Location École Canadienne-Française Gustave-Dubois, 2320 Louise Ave

Time 6:00 – 8:30 PM

Pizza Dinner: 6:00 PM

Agenda Item:

1.0 Call to Order 6:30 PM

2.0 Adoption of the agenda

3.0 President’s Opening Remarks

4.0 Adoption of the minutes from last AGM | June 18, 2014

5.0 Business Arising from the minutes

6.0 Executive Director’s Report

7.0 Updated Mission Statement and Goals

8.0 Bylaw Changes and Amendments

9.0 Treasurer’s Report

9.1 Audited Financial Report

9.2 Appointment of Auditor:

That Max Lingard, Twigg & Co., be appointed as SIA auditor for the 2015/16 fiscal year. Mover: Winnie Mutswangwa.

10.0 Election of New Board Members

11.0 Other Business

12.0 Adjournment

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2014 Annual General Meeting Minutes

Date Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Location Room G30, St. Paul’s Hospital, 230 Avenue R South

Time 6:00 – 8:30 PM

1.0 President’s Opening Remarks

President David Parkinson welcomed everyone and called the meeting to order at 6:09 PM.

Acknowledged the 50th Anniversary of the organization and encouraged everyone to attend the 50th

anniversary celebrations. Mentioned the Annual Report document that can be found in the AGM

participant package. David thanked the staff and Winnie for budget information.

2.0 Adoption of the Agenda

Motion to adopt the agenda by Caroline Cottrell and seconded by Sadeq Rahimi. Motion carried

Agenda

1 President’s opening remarks

2 Adoption of the agenda

3 Minutes from the last Annual General Meeting (June 20th, 2013)

4 Business arising from minutes

5 Executive Director report:

Annual report overview

Project & Committee Updates: progress, challenges and new opportunities 6 Treasurer’s report:

Financial report

Appointment of Auditor

7 Election of new board members

8 Other business:

SIA 50th Anniversary

SIA Relocation: Kinsmen Learning Commons

Saskatoon Multilingual School membership fee 9 Questions/suggestions

10 Adjournment

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3.0 Minutes from last Annual General Meeting – June 20, 2013

Any changes to the last AGM meeting minutes? None heard.

Motion to adopt the minutes as presented by Karl Martens. Seconded by Pratyush Das. Carried.

4.0 Business Arising from minutes

None raised.

5.0 Executive Director’s Report: (Mahasti Khakpour)

The Executive Director said she was honoured to give the report of SIA at their 50th year. It has been

an honour for her to see the organization go through such a long journey. SIA was built with volunteer’s

help and support.

Review of Annual Report package. SIA had a busy year, enhancing, changing and creating new

programs. Restructured SIA into employment, education and youth programming units to help focus

more on what is coming as a need from the community. All information reviewed can be found in the

Annual Report document.

Personnel Committee: HR Policy: Reviewed and rolled out to the staff:

50th Anniversary: Formal, Informal and Coordinating Committees

Challenges over the past year: Project-based organization is always a challenge, budget is always an

issue. Considering what we are given, the organization looks steady from a human resources

perspective. Currently no gaps in personnel. Changes made to the administration fund from provincial

government; in the upcoming year we must fundraise or secure additional funding.

New Opportunities: Neighborhood service delivery attractive: bridged connections with the Saskatoon

Public and Saskatoon Catholic schools. This will continue to be helpful and will continue to maintain

these connections. Would like to build an SIA language centre in the next year in the east side of

Saskatoon.

Reviewed the growth/evolution for the past few year.

In response to a question about the sources of revenue, the Executive Director answer that 90% of

revenues were from provincial or federal governments and 10% private sponsors/private donations.

The President acknowledged Mahasti’s leadership in the organization. The staff who were present were

introduced, and the President thanked them on behalf of SIA.

6.0 Treasurer’s Report: (Winnie Mutswangwa)

The Treasurer stated that it was an honour to provide services to SIA over the past year. Winnie

thanked Mahasti and her crew for being patient and answering thoughts/queries throughout the year.

Financial/Treasurer’s report 2013-14 -have a healthy financial state of affairs. Report is available in the

Annual Report on pages 16-23. Copies of the detailed report are available upon request.

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As of March 31, 2014, total revenue was $1.2 million, and revenue had grown by 14%. There was also

a 13% increase in expenses – based on wages and program expansion. SIA has been able to get

funding to cover projects and avoid a deficit.

We received a clear auditor report and our track record is clean.

It is important to note in terms of fundraising that we received a bit from fundraising this year, but there

was a 67% drop from last year. Golf Tournament of last year was successful and accounts for

difference. The Treasurer recommended that we consider doing a golf tournament again next year.

She also pointed out that on the balance sheet on page 19, the 50th Anniversary funds are internally

restricted funds that we are tracking separately.

One person suggested that CRA was taking a dim view of not for profits having a certain amount of

money in reserve, but could never get a clear answer on what non-profits are allowed to keep in

reserve before they tip that balance. Is this a problem for SIA? The Treasurer responded that this was

not a target area from what she knows. It is not a risky area from an audit perspective.

Motion to re-appoint current auditors, Twigg and Company, as auditors for fiscal year 2014 – 15.

Mover: Winnie Mutswangwa. Seconder: Tracy Muggli. Motion carried.

Motion to approve audited financial statements. Mover: Winnie Mutswangwa. Seconder: Jay Kalra.

Motion carried.

7.0 Election of new Board Members (Jay Kalra)

Dr. Kalra said it was a privilege to be a part of electing new board members. He thanked the

nominations committee; including Pratyush Das and Sadeq Rahimi. The positions up for election were

Treasurer, Secretary and 7 Director positions.

The Nominating Committee has presented a slate of candidates, and our procedures allow nominations

from the floor.

Biographies of nominations in the package, also open up to nominations from the floor. Ask those who

are present to speak for no longer than 100 seconds about their motivations to be elected to the Board.

Motion to accept the nomination of Winnie Mutswangwa as Treasurer. Mover: Sadeq Rahimi.

Seconder: Pratyush Das. Motion carried.

Motion to accept the nomination of Sam Sambasivam as Secretary. Mover: Sadeq Rahimi. Seconder:

Pratyush Das. Motion carried.

Directors Slate (7 positions available): Mark Brown, Stryker Calvez, Sylvia Cholodnuik, Sharon Clarke,

Roger Gauthier, Jennifer Heimbecker, Purnima Rajbhandary

Motion to accept the nomination of the slate of candidates as directors. Mover: Sadeq Rahimi.

Seconder: Pratyush Das. Motion carried.

There were no nominations from the floor.

Motion to accept the election by acclamation of the slate of candidates for Treasurer, Secretary and 7

directors positions.. Mover: Gerlinde Sarkar. Seconder: Caroline Cottrell. Motion carried.

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8. Other Business:

SIA 50th Anniversary (David): Two different events this year:

Informal event: June 29th – BBQ Picnic in Meewasin Park on Spadina Crescent: Please utilize the

shuttle bus from Lawson Heights Mall.

Formal Event Sept 12th: Prairieland Park: Entertainment, Food and Awards. Band - Delhi 2 Dublin

band will be performing at this event. Tickets are available for two prices: Dinner/concert or only the

concert.

SIA Awards: Nominations package available in the back of the room and on the SIA website.

Organization has grown and many people have contributed to this organization. If you would like to

nominate someone – submit the nominations package before July 31st, 2014. One person to be

recognized in each category. All people nominated will receive a certificate – Current staff and Board

members are ineligible.

Equity and Anti-Racism Committee: Creating a larger film festival Mar 16 – 21st, 2015. All or most of

them will be free. A number of the films will be followed by panel discussions.

SIA Relocation – Shared Learning Commons (Tracy/Angela): The Kinsmen are raising funds to

renovate one an old building where similar not for profit organizations will cooperate and expand their

service delivery. The parish hall of the old St. Paul’s church on the corner of Ave M and 20th Street is

the location. This project enables groups to integrate on every level, and foster a sense of belonging.

The groups (YWCA, READ Saskatoon and the Canadian Paraplegic Association) will work together

towards shared goals, collective spaces and classrooms. Well over 23,000 + people will be served in

this space. Kinsmen cares about the community and continues to fundraise in the community on behalf

of SIA. Best part: YMCA will be licensed for 90 childcare spaces.

There is a fundraising letter in AGM package related to the building. David, Jay and Tracy are making

pledge commitments to the campaign and encourage everyone to make contributions to the campaign.

Details on the back of the letter on how to donate. If anyone is interested, contact Tracy.

Saskatoon Multilingual School membership fees (David):

We instituted a graduated fee system:

$50 for schools with 40+ students

$30 – for schools with less than 40 students.

Thanks to Eleanor Shia for her leadership in helping reach this decision.

9. Questions/ Suggestions:

There were no questions.

David thanked the staff and membership for support over the next year.

10. Adjournment:

Motion to adjourn at 7:48PM by Gerlinde Sarkar.

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Message from the President As this will be my last

opportunity to address

the Saskatchewan

Intercultural Association

membership as

President, I took a few

minutes to reflect on

the message I wrote for

our AGM last year. It

was a time of

tremendous excitement, but also of

considerable stress and anxiety as we were on

the verge of mounting two large-scale events to

mark the 50th anniversary of SIA. The first

event, Celebrating Canadian Multiculturalism

Day on June 29th at Meewasin Park, was a

huge success, attended by hundreds of people

drawn from the general public, Newcomers,

First Nations peoples, our sister community-

based organizations and various levels of

government. Our second event, our gala

celebration at Prairieland Park on September

5th, 2014, allowed us to honour some

exceptional people who have been associated

with SIA over the years and featured the

renowned musical group Delhi to Dublin. Both

events exceeded our greatest expectations due

to the generosity of our sponsors, the gratifying

response to our appeal to buy tickets and the

hard work of our staff, board and volunteers. In

addition, we managed to host both events

without cost to SIA.

SIA has also been involved in other endeavours

over the past year. Once again, our Equity and

Anti-Racism Committee collaborated with both

school boards as well as the Multicultural

Council of Saskatchewan, Passages Canada,

the City of Saskatoon and the Broadway

Theatre to present the Reel to Real Film

Festival, confronting racism through film. SIA

continued to support the efforts of the

Saskatoon Multilingual Schools in a partnership

extending back decades, focusing on

preserving heritage languages in our

community. Finally, SIA continued to promote

culture through the arts through music and

dance performances.

SIA has grown to become a crucial component

in providing essential programming for New

Canadians and First Nations people in

Saskatoon through offerings such as the

Mentorship Program, LITE, ConnectED and

English classes. We continue to work closely

with our funders and community partners to

maintain the stability of our programming in a

very challenging and uncertain environment.

Progress has also been made in strengthening

our internal processes and policies. I would like

to thank our Acting Executive Director, Dr. Bob

Cram, for spearheading these improvements as

well as the SIA staff for all of their hard work

and dedication over the past year. Also, my

gratitude goes out to our tireless board of

directors who volunteer so much of their

valuable time. Finally, our collective

appreciation extends to our membership which

has supported us for over 50 years. With such a

collection of talent, energy and dedication, SIA

cannot help but continue to be a force for good

in our community for a long time to come.

With best regards,

David M. Parkinson, President

Saskatchewan Intercultural Association

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SIA Board of Directors 2014 – 15

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


Directors

Mark Brown


Stryker Calvez


Sylvia Cholodnuik

Government of Saskatchewan

Sharon Clarke

Saskatoon Health Region

Caroline Cottrell


Students’ Union

Pratyush Das

Tourism Saskatchewan

Raj Dhir

Retired

Roger Gauthier

Saskatchewan Network for Health

Services in French

Jennifer Heimbecker

Office of the Treaty Commissioner

Karl Martens

Robertson Stromberg LLP

Sadeq Rahimi


Purnima Rajbhandary

Sutton Real Estate

Gerlinde Sarkar

GEOMARC Technologies Inc.

SIA Staff 2014 - 15

Bob Cram

Gabrielle Bouchard

Jessica Hamm

Haven Seto

Ling Zhang

Ben Bodnaryk

Golsa Kafili

Nafiseh Zamani

Lubna Sheikh

Tehreem Zafar

Todd Johnson

Elena Tenorio

Scott Mickelson

Imran Mahmood

John D. Johnson

Charlotte Garrett

Zoe Mukura

Musarrat Saeed

Akmala Kamboh

Cheryl Woelk

Mahasti Khakpour

Shahzadi Bilquis

Elizabeth Gruber

Gayle Maines

Jennesa Plaine

Samreen Mubarik

Paige Appleyard

Nadia Maqbool

Zahra Rezazadeh

Gina Bak

Claressa Campbell

Navdeep Dhillon

Zubda Qamer

Asma Saeed

Yolanda Palmer

Kirstin Scansen

Colleen Underwood

Toni Chasmar

Shazia Amir

Mahnaz Khakpour

Victoria J. Gerwing

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Message from the Executive Director The Saskatchewan

Intercultural

Association (SIA) has

had an eventful year in

2014-15. In addition to

celebrating its 50th

anniversary with a

community barbeque

and a very successful

gala dinner and dance

in September, SIA went through some

leadership changes. The Executive Director,

Mahasti Khakpour, requested a one-year leave

from September 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015.

For two months, Jessica Hamm filled in as

Acting Executive Director before going on

maternity leave, and at that time I took over as

Acting Executive Director for ten months. I have

greatly enjoyed my time working for SIA and

getting to know more about its programs,

activities and its excellent staff.

Detailed reports on programs, partnerships and

initiatives are included elsewhere in the Annual

Report, so I will just touch on a few highlights

here. SIA’s historical foundation remains strong

in our support for heritage language programs

and the Saskatoon Multilingual Schools. We

also remain active in the performing arts, youth

programs and our anti-racism film festival, Reel

to Real. Our summer program for newcomer

youths, ConnectED, did very well, and we plan

to offer it again this coming summer. We are

also examining ways in which we can provide

support for newcomer families in other ways,

perhaps with programming for seniors. In 2014-

15, we saw a significant expansion of our

federally funded ESL program, Language

Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC).

The hours of instruction more than doubled

thanks to increased funding from Citizenship

and Immigration Canada, which has now been

confirmed for 2015-16 as well. We also

enlarged our provincially funded Stage 1 ESL

program by adding higher level Stage 2 classes

with additional support from the Ministry of the

Economy. The Ministry also supported an

additional intake of our Mentorship employment

program over the past year. Our other

employment program, Learning Interculturalism

Through Employment (LITE), has been

attracting a lot of attention as the only

employment program in the province that brings

together newcomer and aboriginal youth.

Organizationally, despite all the changes in the

Executive Director position, a lot has been

accomplished. A new Human Resource policy,

developed last year, has been implemented this

year. We also developed a Travel Policy at the

request of one of our funders. In addition, we

developed guidelines for revenue recognition

after some issues around how deferrals of

revenue were handled last year. The

Treasurer’s Report will cover this in greater

detail. SIA also implemented direct deposit

payroll, which was something the staff wanted

very much. Another important change involved

a new strategic planning process starting at the

end of 2014. While this process is ongoing, the

Board has approved a new mission statement

and goals, which will be presented at the AGM.

This in turn necessitated some bylaw

amendments.

A major theme of the year has revolved around

strengthening relationships. We have made

conscious efforts in this regard with other

settlement agencies, funders, staff, our

Learning Commons partners and the United

Way. While it is difficult to measure this kind of

thing, there is a general sense in the

organization that relationships have indeed

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improved and we have received a lot of verbal

feedback to that effect. With respect to the

United Way, we had an opportunity this year to

apply to their Community Fund, something we

had not been able to do in the past. We will not

know the results of this application until the fall,

but we are grateful to have had the opportunity.

SIA also remains very active in a number of

local and provincial organizations that are

relevant to the work we do, including

SaskCulture, the Multicultural Council of

Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Organization

for Heritage Languages, TESL Saskatchewan,

the Saskatchewan Association for Immigration,

Settlement and Integration Associations, the

Saskatoon Refugee Council, the Newcomer

Information Centre and the Saskatoon

Settlement and Integration Coordinating

Committee. It goes without saying that we

remain heavily involved with the Saskatoon

Multilingual Schools, which are really a part of

SIA.

Finally, I should report on the Community

Learning Commons. For over two years, SIA

has worked with four other non-profit

organizations and the Kinsmen Club of

Saskatoon in the hope that enough funds could

be raised to renovate the old St. George’s

Parish Hall into a great new shared space

called the Learning Commons. Sadly, I have to

report that the fundraising efforts were not

successful, and the Kinsmen finally had to

make the tough decision to put the building up

for sale. All of the partners in the project worked

on it diligently, but the recent downturn in the

provincial economy dealt a blow to the efforts. I

would like to thank YMCA Saskatoon, Read

Saskatoon, Ability in Me (AIM), the Canadian

Paraplegic Association (Saskatchewan branch)

and the Kinsmen Club of Saskatoon for all of

their collaborative efforts, even if we were not

successful. SIA’s space in St. Paul’s Hospital is

no longer acceptable space for our operations,

and during the summer we will begin looking for

a new space to lease.

At this time, I only have a couple of months left

with SIA, so I would like to take this opportunity

to thank SIA’s members, its board and its staff

for the wonderful support I have received and

the friendships I have made. I am very happy

that my retirement was interrupted for this work.

Bob Cram, Acting Executive Director


Mission

We promote intercultural understanding and the retention of cultural identity and language to fully

include Newcomers and Indigenous peoples in Canadian society.

Goals

To optimize financial stability by diversifying funding sources, improving fundraising, raising public awareness, and finding efficiencies.

To strengthen our culture of innovation with creative programming and continuous improvement

that meets the changing needs of stakeholders.

To foster collaborative and positive relationships with partners who are similarly committed to

interculturalism.

To enhance programs and services for the most vulnerable members of Newcomer and

Indigenous communities.

http://saskintercultural.org/about-us/mission

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CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS of the SASKATCHEWAN INTERCULTURAL ASSOCIATION [Revised June 20th 2012]

I. NAME

The name of the organization shall be the SASKATCHEWAN INTERCULTURAL ASSOCIATION Inc. also known as SIA.

II. 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.

III. MISSION STATEMENT To promote social inclusion of racial/cultural minorities to achieve equality by empowering them through the development of collaborative community initiatives.

IV. GOALS a) To eliminate racial discrimination by raising awareness and by promoting and practicing

employment and education equity. b) To promote intercultural understanding by offering educational programs and other learning

opportunities. c) To increase awareness of the benefits of a multicultural society. d) To develop and offer programs for assisting immigrants and refugees in the settlement process. e) To contribute to cultural education through multilingual programming; performing arts events

and workshops, and educational workshops on topics such as equity and anti-racism. f) To network and collaborate with relevant organizations and with all sectors to influence policies

and develop programs for the elimination of discrimination, the settlement and integration of newcomers, and the promotion of arts and heritage languages.

g) To promote, and provide support to encourage employment of individuals with diverse cultural backgrounds in Saskatchewan.

V.II. MEMBERSHIP

Groups and individuals who support the objectives of the organization are eligible for membership. a) The Board shall approve all memberships. b) The Membership fees shall be approved at the Annual General Meeting.

MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES a) There shall be two membership categories:

i. Group Members ii. Individual Membership * NOTE: Memberships shall not be transferable. * NOTE: A group shall be defined as any recognized organization or other such organization which may be approved by the Board at their sole discretion. Memberships shall not be transferable. * NOTE: Membership is in effect upon payment of fees.

b) Termination of membership i. Any member may withdraw membership by notice in writing to the Secretary. ii. For actions contrary to this Constitution and By-laws, and upon a minimum sixty (60) percent

vote of the Board, a membership may be suspended or terminated. Such member shall receive notice of the meeting at which membership status will be brought into question, and shall be entitled to attend and be heard.

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iii. A member whose membership has been suspended or terminated has the right to appeal, in writing, the decision of the Board within sixty (60) days of the date of the decision. The President shall call a special General Membership Meeting to review the decision.

VI.III. MEMBERS VOTING RIGHTS Members shall have voting rights on all matters at General Membership Meetings. a) Group Members, upon payment of fees, shall be entitled to two (2) voting delegates. b) Individual Members, upon payment of fees, shall have one vote. c) Resolutions of the General Membership shall be decided by a majority of members present,

who are eligible to vote. d) Election of officers shall be by a secret ballot. e) All other votes shall be by a show of hands unless requested by at least three members. f) There shall be no voting by proxy.

VII.IV. MEETING AND QUORUMS

The Annual General Meeting a) The Annual General Meeting shall be held within three (3) months after the end of the fiscal

year. b) At least twenty-one (21) days written notice to the membership is required for the Annual

General Meeting. c) The Association shall hold an Annual General Meeting for the following purposes:

i. To receive written reports from the Board of Directors; ii. To approve financial statements and appointment of the auditor; iii. To elect the Executive Officers and Directors; iv. Any other business deemed necessary.

General Meeting i. General Meetings of the Association may be called by the President or requested in writing by

at least 25% of the members. ii. The time and place of each General Meeting shall be determined by the Board. iii. Notice shall be sent to all members of the date, time, place, and agenda, fifteen (15) days

prior to the date of such meeting. iv. A quorum shall consist of the delegates present, provided clause b (iii) of this section has

been met. v. The President and one-third (1/3) of the Board of Directors may call a special meeting of the

Membership in no less than seven (7) days of the notice.

VIII.V. FISCAL YEAR The Fiscal Year shall be from April 1 to March 31 of the following year.

IX.VI. COMPOSITION Board of Directors The Board of Directors shall be composed of ten to sixteen (10-16) elected members, including the Executive Officers, elected at the Annual General Meeting. The Past President shall be an ex-officio member of the Board.

a) Eligibility |Members in good standing are eligible for election to the Board, for a two-year term, at the Annual General Meeting.

b) Duration | Executive Officers can remain in the same position for a maximum of two consecutive terms.

c) Term of Election | The positions of President, Vice-President and 50% of Board Members shall be elected at Annual General Meetings, held in odd numbered years, for a two-year term. At the Annual General Meetings held in even numbered years, the positions of Secretary and Treasurer and 50% of Board Members will be elected for a two-year term.

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d) Vacancies | If any vacancy should occur on the Board of Directors, the Board may appoint an individual from the membership to serve the remaining part of the term.

e) Removal from the Board of Directors – Any Board member acting against or in violation of the Constitution or Bylaws of the Association or acting in any way detrimental to the interest of the organization may be removed from office by a simple majority vote at a Board Meeting.

Powers a) The Board of Directors shall set and oversee the policies and programs of the Association. b) The Board of Directors may appoint committees or advisors when necessary and shall report

such appointments to the next General Meeting. c) The signing officers shall be two of the following four: Treasurer, President, Vice President and

Executive Director. d) A Board member may be asked to resign upon missing three consecutive Board Meetings with

the exception of planned or unavoidable absences. Notice of Meetings a) All Meetings of the Board of Directors shall convene at the call of the President, or Vice-

President. b) A quorum of the Board of Directors shall consist of one-half of the Directors plus one. Board Meeting Voting Practices and Duties a) Each member of the Board, except the Chair of the meeting, shall have one vote at Board

Meetings. In the case of a tie, the Chair shall have the deciding vote. A simple majority of votes is required to conduct business.

b) The Board shall review and approve monthly financial statements and financial policy. c) Voting on board motions by electronic means is permitted. b)d) Participation in board meetings by electronic means is permitted at the discretion of the

President. Executive Officers The Executive Officers shall comprise the following: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and Past President. The Executive may act on behalf of the Board between Board meetings. President – the President shall: a) Call and chair all meetings of the Executive, the Board of Directors and General Membership. b) Be responsible for the implementation of policies passed by the Board and/or General

Membership. c) Be a signing officer. d) May delegate duties to individual Executive officers, Board members and staff. e) Be an ex-officio member of all committees. Vice-President – the Vice-President shall: a) Assume all duties of the President in his/her absence. Secretary – The Secretary shall: a) Keep a full and accurate record of all proceedings of the General meeting, the Board of

Directors and the Executive Officers meetings. b) Issue notices of meetings. c) Keep records of communications and correspondence. d) Be a signing officer. e) In consultation with the President, may assign any portion of his/her duties to the staff. Treasurer – The Treasurer shall: a) Keep accurate records of all financial transactions. b) Be responsible for receiving and depositing all funds. c) Prepare and submit such financial statements as the Board of Directors and/or General meeting

may require. d) Be a signing officer.

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e) Prepare and file the audited financial statements to the appropriate authorities within the prescribed deadlines.

f) In consultation with the President, may assign any portion of his/her duties to the staff.

X.VII. AUDIT The books of the Association shall be audited annually by an independent auditor. The audited report of the Associations financial affairs must be presented to each Annual General Meeting. The audited financial statements do not need to be mailed out to members in advance of the Annual General Meeting, but a notice will be published that they are available at the registered office of the corporation for examination during the usual business hours of the corporation by any person and that person may make copies free of charge.

XI.VIII. CORPORATE SEAL The seal of the Association shall be in the custody of the Secretary or designate of the Board at the registered office. All papers required to be sealed must be sealed in the presence of two (2) of the signing officers or designates of the Board.

XII.IX. DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY In the event of dissolution of the organization, any assets, including remaining monies, shall, after payment of all debts and liabilities of the Association, be distributed to other charitable, non-profit organizations in accordance with the decision of the majority of the members in attendance at the meeting of the membership called for the purpose of determining distribution, such distribution to be made according to law.

XIII.X. AMENDMENTS The Constitution and Bylaws of the Association shall not be rescinded, altered or added to unless such proposed amendments have first been presented in writing to the Board of Directors and all members at least thirty (30) days before the next General Meeting. Such proposed amendments must be passed by a 2/3 majority at the next General Meeting.

* Robert’s Rules of order shall apply unless otherwise specified by the Board.*

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Employment Programs

The Mentorship Program provides

services for

highly skilled

and educated

newcomers

(immigrants and

refugees)

focused on

employment

training,

networking, job search techniques, workplace

literacy, an introduction to Canadian work

culture and the development of fundamental

social skills which are essential to succeed in

the Canadian workplace. The mandate of the

Mentorship Program is to provide training,

mentoring, and link foreign-born and trained

professionals with the Canadian workforce in

their fields of expertise.

While the participants in the program are highly

educated and qualified, they often lack

knowledge of the Canadian workforce,

culture and job search techniques, as well as

specific local information related to their field. In

addition to this, their isolation from the

workforce means that they have a limited

professional network, which in turn means that

they lose access to the hidden job market. The

Mentorship Program works to alleviate many of

the barriers which keep these professionals

from attaining relevant employment in their

fields of expertise, teaching core social

competencies and providing a three month

internship with a company or organization that

is directly related to the client’s educational

background.

The Mentorship Program runs three intakes

each year, February, May and September, and

were awarded an additional intake in February

2014. Each program consists of eight weeks of

classroom instruction followed by 8-12 weeks in

an internship-style work placement which helps

to connect clients to their careers and build their

professional networks here in Saskatchewan.

The past year saw the Program serve clients

from the following countries: India, Pakistan,

Nepal, Bangladesh, Jamaica, Iran, China,

Nigeria, Libya, South Africa, Morocco, Ethiopia,

Egypt, Vietnam, Ecuador, Iraq and Russia.

LITE (Learning Interculturalism Thorough

Employment) program is an employment and

intercultural learning program for Aboriginal and

Newcomer youth ages 18-30 in Saskatoon.

LITE is truly unique in that it brings diverse

cultural groups together to learn about the

diversity of cultures in Canada, while also

preparing participants for success in the

Canadian work force. The LITE program offers

nine weeks of paid in-class employment and

intercultural group training, followed by a 12

week paid work placement designed with the

participants’ career goals and aspirations in

mind. Through LITE, participants have the

opportunity to develop employment-ready skill

sets such as resume and cover letter

writing and job interview skills. They also have

the opportunity to obtain certifications such as

First Aid, CPR, W.H.I.M.I.S. and FoodSafe.

Participants learn skill sets for success in

diverse workplaces and learn about racism,

discrimination, diversity, Canadian and

Saskatchewan history, treaties, human rights

and a number of life skills topics. Each intake of

17

LITE serves 10 participants with this number

increasing to 12 in future intakes.

Between April 2014 and March 2015, LITE

served 23 participants who came from a

number of Indigenous nations throughout

Saskatchewan, such as Nehiyaw, Nehithaw,

Anishinaabe, Denesuline, Dakota, Lakota,

Nakoda and Saulteaux. Newcomer participants

were either permanent residents or refugees,

and came from diverse countries such as

Bangladesh, China, Mexico, Croatia, Eritrea,

Pakistan, Iran and Colombia. Successful LITE

program participants are those youth that gain

meaningful employment in their fields or return

to school to further their education. As much as

75% of participants became employed or

returned to school following completion of the

LITE program.

The LITE program is currently in its third intake

and continues to grow in size with each intake.

SIA looks forward to offering the highest quality

employment and intercultural training to

Newcomer and Aboriginal youth in Saskatoon in

the future.

SIA would like to thank Tetiana Morozova, a graduate of the Mentorship

Program, for designing the front and back covers of this year’s annual report

once again. Tetiana was born and raised in the Ukraine and is now employed

at Saskatoon Express Newspaper as a graphic designer.

18

English Language Programs LINC (Language

instruction for

Newcomers to

Canada) provides

free English classes

to Permanent

Residents and

Refugees. The

program is funded

through Citizenship and Immigration Canada

(CIC). The objectives of the LINC Program are

to improve clients’ language ability in all skill

areas, with the goal of increasing confidence in

using the language, connecting to the broader

community, having the ability to independently

access community resources and services and

interacting in a culturally diverse environment.

By providing child-minding, it is also a goal to

enable parents to attend classes.

During the 2014/15 fiscal year, the LINC

Program provided nine language classes

throughout the city. Our program operated at

five locations (SIA Main Office, St. Mark

Community School, Forest Grove Community

Church, Wildwood Mennonite Church and

Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre).

SIA’s LINC Program offered language classes

at a variety of geographical locations, differing

class schedules and Canadian Language

Benchmark (CLB) levels ranging from Literacy

to CLB 9. Child-minding services were provided

at three of our locations.

The program has a capacity of 110 participants at

any given time, and served a total of 353 unique

clients throughout the year. The LINC Program

offered by SIA more than doubled its number of

hours of classroom instruction compared to 2013-

14 levels. For the most part, classes ran at full

capacity with healthy waitlists. We were able to

meet or surpass the 5-10% average rate of

progress from one CLB level to the next each

quarter.

Stage 1 & 2 English programs offer free

Adult English Language classes, Canadian

Language Benchmark (CLB) levels 1 - 6 and

free child minding services to newcomers to

Saskatoon. This program is funded by the

Ministry of the Economy - Government of

Saskatchewan. The outcomes of this program

are to facilitate learners improving their basic

English Language skills, building confidence in

the use of English in daily community

interactions for easy integration into Canadian

culture and to improve their ability to meet their

settlement needs independently.

The newcomers who are entitled to take this

program are 18 years of age or older and have

lived 8 years or less in Canada. They must be

temporary residents who are authorized to

remain in Canada for at least two months and

legally entitled to work in Canada or permanent

residents or Canadian Citizens who are not

eligible for, or cannot access, Federal English

classes.

19

The Stage 1 English program received approval

to add a Stage 2 English program with two

more classes for CLB levels 5-6 in July 2014

and served 232 clients in 2015 from China,

Japan, Korea, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan,

Afghanistan, Burma, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Russia,

Vietnam, Jordan, Sri Lanka, Philippines,

Morocco, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Somalia, Tunisia,

Libya, Mauritius, Burma, Albania, Poland,

Serbia, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Spain, Lithuania, El

Salvador and Mexico.

The Stage 1 & 2 English program offers classes

at four different locations: St. Paul’s United

Church, Wildwood Mennonite Church, Evan

Hardy Collegiate and St. Mark Community

School. The staff includes one coordinator, six

teachers and four child minders. Learners

complete 55 to 60 hours of instruction every

quarter in each class.

Our accomplishments in the program would not

be possible without the continuous cooperation

and collaboration of St. Paul’s United Church,

Wildwood Mennonite Church, Saskatoon

School Board-Evan Hardy Collegiate,

Saskatoon Catholic School Board – St. Mark

Community School, the University of

Saskatchewan and First Nations and Metis

people, all of which have contributed towards

the facilitation and integration of our clients into

our diverse Canadian society.

2014 – 2015 SIA Volunteers

Yanling Mo

Michael Labbie

Shahrzad Bodan

Phat Lam

Jill Bachiu

Rose Guo

Afroza Khandoker

Kenneth Weddige

Rayna Fisher

Ivan Besermenji

Eva Beiderman

Hachem Hachem

Ying Qi

Mamta Sharma

20

Youth Programs

ConnectED is a summer program for

newcomer boys & girls (12-18 yrs.) which

includes three sessions, each with a different

focus. This includes learning Saskatoon and

Canadian culture, education and volunteering

as well as sports and recreation. Participants

can register for one or more sessions. This

program runs during the months of July and

August.

In 2014, 20 participants in ConnectED Program

spent the summer learning/playing a variety of

sport activities, improving their English skills,

trying some science projects and learning about

life in Canada. This year’s activities included

trips to the Regina Science Centre, Fort

Battleford, swimming lessons, volunteering

activities and a three-day camping trip to Pike

Lake where

they had the

opportunity to

learn and

experience

camping in

Canada,

which was

new to most

of them. A few sessions were also focused on

drawing, painting and craft projects. The

participants were very excited about the artwork

they created, resulting in a final day family

potluck/art exhibition so that they could show

their parents their creations.

The feedback received from the participants this

year was very positive; 90% of participants felt

that all the activities of the program made them

feel more comfortable speaking English and

would lead them to better academic success

through the school year. The majority also felt

the program had increased their self-esteem

(80%) and helped prepare them for their new

life in Canada (74.6%). Also all of the

participants (100%) felt that the program helped

them make new friends.

STRONG stands for Strengthening the

Relationships Of Newcomer Generations and is

a family program focused on addressing many

of the issues facing teenage (13-18 years)

newcomers and their newcomer parents who

struggle to meet each other’s expectations

while attempting to integrate into the Canadian

culture. This program was funded by United

Way. The project ran on Saturdays for twelve

weeks from September to December 2014.

There were individual and combined sessions

for newcomer teenagers and their newcomer

parents where they were, through different

media, helped to learn more about Canadian

culture and develop appropriate behaviors.

Sessions were hosted by professional and

qualified presenters in different aspects of

Canadian life and culture.

During the program, participants were treated to

numerous activities that allowed the newcomer

youth and their parents to explore and build

their relationship through local culture and

community activities. Having open forums

together where they could freely speak about

their feelings, the teenagers reflected on and

21

openly shared their frustrations, which at times

shocked their parents because the children had

never felt safe enough to say some of these

things before. By the end of the program, the

parents were informed and engaged in

developing and maintaining familial balance

through their parent-teenager relationship,

thereby developing, fostering and strengthening

relationships.

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

allows students to take part in cultural activities

that are not traditionally offered in Saskatoon

schools. Participating in this program not only

increases awareness of ethnic dance, music

and recreation, but also promotes social

interaction amongst Canadian-born, immigrant

and refugee students in elementary schools.

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 year, two SIA performing art groups

(Chinese Martial Art Academy and Del Mundo

Dance Academy) offered instruction to the

students of Alvin Buckwold and Lawson Heights

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. Around 90 students enjoyed

the program throughout the 2014-2015 school

year.

22

Intercultural Programs

Saskatoon Multilingual Schools

(SMS), established in 1983, runs as a

committee (chaired by Eleanor Shia) and

provides language instruction (K - 12) in

different heritage languages in Saskatoon.

Some of the language schools offer credit

classes to high school students and some

deliver heritage language training for adults as

well.

For more than 30 years, SMS has been

fundamental in achieving SIA’s goal of

increasing cross-cultural awareness,

understanding and providing opportunities for

youth in Saskatoon. This would not be possible

without financial support from the

Saskatchewan Organization for Heritage

Languages (SOHL) and Ministry of Education.

SMS also receives tremendous support from

the Saskatoon Public School Board. Some part

of the Multicultural Initiatives Fund grant

through Saskculture will be used to cover the

extra cost of SMS due to the increased number

of language schools as well as students.

The Saskatoon Multilingual Schools have the

goal of 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.

Through the 2014-2015 school year, SMS had

34 active schools offering instruction in 29

different languages with around 1,500 youth

and adult students taught by over 170 volunteer

teachers. Saskey practical Chinese school,

Nepali community, and Serbian Language

School are the new members of SMS. The

Choral Concert, presented by 12 language

schools and attended by around 450 people, as

well as a fall Workshop on “Evaluation

Strategies”, attended by 45 volunteer teachers,

were the main functions of SMS during the

2014-2015 school year.

Saskatchewan Intercultural Association would

like to congratulate Heritage Chinese Language

School and Chinese Language School of

Saskatoon for celebrating the 25th anniversary

of their founding and 40 years of Chinese

Education in Saskatoon. SIA also wants to

acknowledge all the language schools’

volunteers, teachers and staff on their

remarkable teamwork and dedication to

promote heritage languages in Saskatoon,

especially the Chinese Language school of

Saskatoon for receiving award for “School of

Outstanding Overseas Chinese Language

Education”.

23

The Performing Arts Program promotes multiculturalism through fine arts, and

performing arts by developing programs and

booking of performing arts services for

community events. It also develops and

oversees educational projects and programs

(multicultural education) and engages in

multicultural events to enhance cross cultural

awareness in the City of Saskatoon.

Throughout the 2014-2015 year, SIA has made

arrangements between the Performing Art

group members and community organizations

for more than 15 community events in

Saskatoon. SIA performing Art groups also had

the opportunity to perform at SIA’s 50th

anniversary in June 2014. As happens every

year, SIA organized the performing arts events

for the Canada Day celebration on July 1, 2014

in which 15 SIA performing groups presented a

professional performance in Diefenbaker Park.

EAR’s Reel to Real Film Festival: Confronting Racism Through Film One of the annual events coordinated by the

Equity and Anti-Racism (EAR) Committee has

been a Film Festival commemorating the

International Day for the Elimination of Racial

Discrimination. The Real-to-Reel Film Festival

took place March 17-21 and included free public

viewings of three feature films, each of which

was followed by a panel discussion focused on

issues of multiculturalism and racism within the

films, as well as broader Saskatchewan and

Canadian society. Each panel was made up of

community activists, educators, authors and

experts in the area of culture and race. Two

private matinee showings were also included for

classes in the Saskatoon Public School System

and the Greater Catholic School System as a

means to foster a discussion about race and

culture in Saskatoon.

SIA organized cultural performances for the

Canada Day celebration in Diefenbaker Park on

July 1st, 2014. The following performing Arts

Groups performed at the Canada Day

celebrations: 1. Oriental Dance Arts

2. Heritage Chinese Language School

3. German Junior Folk Dance

4. Greek Community of Saskatoon

5. Brady Academy of Irish Dance

6. Chinese Language School of Saskatoon

7. Del Mundo Dance Academy

8. Saskatoon Scottish Country Dancers

9. Punjabi Cultural Association of Saskatchewan

10. Filipino Heritage School

11. Tzahalah Dance Group

12. DancEgypt Dance Co.

13.Russan Language School

14. Living Sky Taiko

15. Blakey Saskatoon School of Irish Dance

24

Partnered with the Multicultural Council of

Saskatchewan (MCoS), Broadway Theater and

Passages Canada, the 2015 Film Festival was

attended by a record number of over 1,000

people over the four day event. This years’

event also expanded to include additional

events coordinated under the banner of anti-

racism. The City of Saskatoon Living in

Harmony Awards were held at the Broadway

Theater prior to the Public School matinee on

Wednesday, March 18 and celebrated

individuals in the community who have been

recognized for their work in combating prejudice

and cultural stereotypes while building

relationships of inclusion. The Greater Catholic

School System also put together a variety show

performed by its high school students at the

Roxy Theater on March 19 titled “Voices of

Change.”

The four day event included:

Belle

Panel: Zarqa Nawaz, Judy White, Trish

Hubbard. Moderated by Max Fineday.

Voices of Change

Performing Arts

Cache

Panel: Muhammad Mustafa Mustaan, Paul

Orlowski, and Rachel Genesis.

Moderated by Sadeq Rahimi.

Django Unchained

Panel: Sheila Pocha, Yolanda Palmer, and

Setpal Vikram.

Moderated by Sadeq Rahimi.

Remember the Titans

School Matinee Film followed by Cultural

Awareness Programming.

The four day event included:

Belle Panel: Zarqa Nawaz, Judy White, Trish Hubbard. Moderated by Max Fineday.

Voices of Change

Performing Arts

Cache

Panel: Muhammad Mustafa Mustaan, Paul Orlowski, and Rachel Genesis. Moderated by Sadeq Rahimi.

Django Unchained

Panel: Sheila Pocha, Yolanda Palmer, and Setpal Vikram. Moderated by Sadeq Rahimi.

Remember the Titans

School Matinee Film followed by Cultural Awareness Programming.

25

Treasurer’s Report

I am pleased to

report on the

financial

performance of

the Saskatchewan

Intercultural

Association Inc.

(SIA) for the year

ending March 31, 2015. For the 2014 - 2015

fiscal period, total revenue stood at $1.1 million,

a decrease of approximately 5% over the

previous year. Despite the slight drop in

revenue, SIA continues to experience strong

growth due to an increased demand for its

programs and services, stemming from an

increase in the immigrant population.

Expenses for 2014/15 were $1.2 million, an

increase of around 6.5% over the past year.

Salaries, wages and employee benefits

represent the main operating expense item at

76% of total expenses. The deficit for the year

is ($83,622), which is mainly a result of the SIA

adjusting revenues on the adoption and

implementation of a new revenue recognition

policy. Please refer to the attached explanation

of the deficit this year.

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 2014- 2015 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


SIA 2014-15 Year-End

In 2014-15, the Saskatchewan Intercultural

Association ended the year with a deficit of

$83,622. In the previous year, 2013-14, SIA had a

surplus of $54,560. This appears to be a large

change, but it primarily reflects a change in how we

defer revenues from one year to the next.

In 2013-14, the auditor made a decision not to

defer approximately $54,000 in revenues to 2014-

15 that normally would be deferred. These

revenues were from government grants and were

for expenses that would be incurred by SIA in

2014-15. Since they were not deferred to 2014-15

as expected, they increased our 2013-14 revenues

by $54,000 and decreased our 2014-15 revenues

by the same amount, even though the related

expenses occurred in 2014-15. Overall, this has no

26

direct effect on SIA’s financial situation, but it does

affect how each year may be perceived.

If the $54,000 of revenue had been deferred, then

2013-14 would have shown a razor-thin surplus

and 2014-15 would have shown a deficit of about

$30,000. In 2014-15, the Board approved running a

deficit in order to cover special one-time costs

associated with the 50th anniversary and the

changes to the Executive Director position.

The Acting Executive Director, Bookkeeper and

Treasurer met with the auditor in early April 2015 to

discuss revenue recognition and how deferrals are

handled. We agreed to establish a set of simple

guidelines that reflect Generally Accepted

Accounting Principles (GAAP) for non-profit

organizations. Those guidelines have now been

approved by the Board. We are confident that, on a

go-forward basis, this will ensure greater

consistency in how revenues are recognized from

one year to the next.

-$200,000

-$100,000

$0

$100,000

$200,000

$300,000

$400,000

$500,000

2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015

Cash and Surplus/Deficit for SIA

Cash & Equivalents

Surplus/Deficit

27

27

28

28

30

30

31

31

40

40

41

SIA 2015 – 16 Board of Directors Slate Name Position Term Status

1 Mark Brown President 2015 - 17 Nominee

2 Sharon Clarke Vice – President 2015 - 17 Nominee

3 Winnie Mutswangwa Treasurer 2014 - 16 Continuing

4 Sam Sambasivam Secretary 2014 - 16 Continuing

5 David Parkinson Past President 2015-17 Ex officio

6 Ayesha Baig Director 2015 - 17 Nominee

7 Caroline Cottrell Director 2015 - 17 Nominee

8 Pratyush Das Director 2015 - 17 Nominee

9 Jennie Lawrence Director 2015 - 17 Nominee

10 Shenuka

Wickramasinghe Director 2015 - 17

Nominee

11 Stryker Calvez Director 2014 - 16 Continuing

12 Sylvia Cholodnuik Director 2014 - 16 Continuing

13 Jennifer Heimbecker Director 2014 - 16 Continuing

14 Purnima

Rajbhandary Director 2014 - 16

Continuing

15 Roger Gauthier Director 2014 - 16 Continuing

In addition, Jason Zhang was nominated as a Director for 2015-17 after May 8, and so is considered a

nomination from the floor.

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