Canada’s Other Voices
NATIONAL PRESS AND MEDIA COUNCIL OF CANADA
Conseil National de la presse et medias ethniques du Canada

[Office of the President, February 25, 2005.] Dear friends and colleagues members of the Council, Yesterday, February 24,2005, we had a very interesting and productive session with the representative of Public Works Canada and Cossette Media. Mr. Jean-Marie Philippe, Manager Advertising Advisory Services, Public Works Canada and Ms Cynthia Rubino from Cossette Media, done their best to explain to those in attendance the unexplainable. Injustices done for more than 50 years against our colleagues in the past and continue even today. In fact they try to persuade the members to subscribe to the so-called private “Agencies”, for the benefit of the system. That was and is unacceptable by all of us and for this reason I had to take a stand on behalf of the industry and ask Ms Rubino to avoid similar course in the future.

To the best of my knowledge, they try to tell us that we have to authorize some  “godfathers” to work on our behalf with Cossette and set the dollar figure for the advertisements we –suppose- are receiving. The situation became even worst when the manager of one of these offices accused Cossette for charging 15 % on the amounts of the invoice, although they are not authorized from the contract they have with the government of Canada. This is a very complicated issue and every day becomes even worst with all revelations and I start thinking for another “sponsorship” theme for someone to grab money from the Ethnic Press and Media. For this reason I am planning to have my last meeting with the proper authorities of the Government before passing the information to opposition. If they will continue playing with us, then we have to ask the opposition to bring this matter to the floor of the Commons. This is our last hope to have someone dealing in “good faith” with us. To this extend I will keep you informed.

Also please let me remind you that our general elections- if everything goes well- are planned for Monday the 14th of March, 2005. To every one of you who wants to serve the organization by participation to the executive board has to call either Massood Mansoorzadeh, at the 416-739 1086, email massood@shahrvand.com, or Cindy Gu, at 416-493 9214, cel : 647 9998530 Email cindygu@epochtimes.com , members of the elections committee and ask them to place her/his name on the list of the candidates. For the various positions I am going to inform you during the weekend. There are five positions for members outside Ontario and Ottawa. According to our constitution we are electing one “Agent General” for each of the Provinces of New Foundland, Quebec, Manitoba, Sask., Alberta and BC, to represent the members of each province. The Agent General has the same authority with the Vice-President of the organization.

Members from these provinces, who are interest to serve in the board, please call and resister your name as a candidate. As soon as the list is completed we are going to revile the names and ask your opinion and vote. Please inform us about your opinion immediately,

Thanking you again,
Thomas S. Saras
President
416- 921 4229, 
saras@nepmcc.ca