Harout Manougian Candidate for TDSB Trustee

Dear Firends, On February 27 there will be a very important by-election for Toronto District School Board (TDSB) Trustee in Ward 17 (Don Valley East). HAROUT MANOUGIAN who is a member of our community is running for this position and he needs your support. Please visit Harout’s website at www.haroutmanougian.ca and after reading his background, his qualifications and his vision for education we are sure that you will agree he is the best person for the position. His passion and dedication will be an inspiration to all our students, teachers and parents in our school system. To see the map of Ward 17 (Don Valley East) click on the map of Don Valley East . If you live in Ward 17 (Don Valley East) your vote and those of every member of your family is extremely vital and significant in this very close by-election. Also please help to spread this very important message to all your friends, relatives, acquaintances and neighbours and urge them to vote for Harout and also take a lawn sign. If you do not live in Ward 17 (Don Valley East), please contact all your friends who do live in Ward 17 (Don Valley East) and urge them to vote for Harout. Please go to www.haroutmanougian.ca/Pages/Support.aspx and sign up each voter from your household and your contact information. That way the campaign team will be able to send you essential information such as the time and place of the advance polls. You can also connect with Harout on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HManougian and follow him on Twitter @HaroutManougian. Please remember to vote for Harout at the Advance Polls on February 18 and 19 and thank you for supporting Harout in this very important by-election. Armenian National Committee of Toronto Follow Us on Twitter Like Our Page on Facebook Watch our videos on YouTube This newsletter was sent by: Armenian National Committee of Toronto 45 Hallcrown Place Willowdale, Ontario M2J 4Y4 www.anctoronto.org © 2010 Armenian National Committee of Toronto.

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WATCH NOW: MPP Addresses Armenian Genocide In Ontario Legislature

On Tuesday, May 3rd 2011, Dr. Helena Jaczek, MPP for Oak Ridges-Markham, made a statement in the Ontario Legislative Assembly recognizing the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and commending the work of the Canadian Armenian community. Dr. Jaczek took the opportunity to note her attendance at the Armenian Genocide Joint Commemoration event held at the Armenian Youth Centre on April 23rd, and reminded Ontarians why it is important to remember the Armenian Genocide.

Mr. Mark Atikian, member of the Armenian National Committee of Toronto said "Dr. Jaczek is a long-time friend of the Armenian community. We deeply appreciate her strong stance on the issues we care about most, like the Armenian Genocide."

You can read the full text of Dr. Jaczek’s statement below, or view the video of her statement as presented in the legislature.

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE
Ms. Helena Jaczek: It was a great privilege for me to attend and speak at an event on April 23, 2011, to commemorate the anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Members of all levels of government from all three political parties were present at the Armenian Youth Center in North York.

The genocide is known to have started on April 24, 1915, the day that some 250 Armenian intellectuals and community leaders were arrested in Constantinople. From then on, Armenians were uprooted from their homes and forced to march for hundreds of miles, while being deprived of food and water, to the desert in what is now Syria.

The year 2011 marks 96 years since the terrible atrocities that occurred between 1915 and 1923, when more than 1.5 million Armenian men, women and children were massacred. The Armenian genocide set the stage for other genocides and human tragedies. Although many countries around the world refuse to acknowledge the horrific events that took place, we here in Ontario choose to recognize this tragedy and take the time to mourn the lives that were lost.

The Armenian community has made many significant and enriching contributions in Canada and in my riding of Oak Ridges–Markham. I offer my sincerest condolences to the families of all those lost. By honouring these victims, we also remember to cherish our freedom and the sanctity of human life.


For more information please contact:
Ms. Araz Hasserjian 416-491-2900 araz.hasserjian@anctoronto.org

About ANCT
The Armenian National Committee of Toronto is a chapter of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, a grassroots organization that was founded in 1965 to address the concerns of the Canadian Armenian community on a broad range of issues.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from ANCT

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Armenian National Committee of Toronto. The last few weeks have certainly been very interesting times internationally for Hai Tad.

2010 was a very successful year of advocacy for the Toronto Armenian community, consisting of many highlights including: an event organized by the ANCT where over 700 community members attended to witness the official designation of the Georgetown Boys Farmhouse as a historical site; a statement in the House of Commons by Martha Hall Findlay, MP for Willowdale, marking the fifth anniversary of the destruction of the khachkars at the Djulfa cemetery; and the establishment of an ANCT permanent office in Toronto with full-time staff to help us further the Armenian Cause.

Our opponents spent 2010 getting more organized, gathering strength and plotting to roll-back the victories our community has achieved through much struggle over the decades, including the proper recognition of the Armenian Genocide by the Canadian government.

With your help, we won't let them. While our community may never win the "money war" against foreign governments with deep pockets, every small donation we receive increases our resources and ability to advance our community's issues. During this holiday season, please consider making a safe and secure lasting commitment to the Armenian Cause by subscribing to the ANCT's Frequent Donor Program. Your small recurring donation, of even $10 per month, when combined with the donations and activism of hundreds of community members, will go a long way to pursuing justice for the Armenian Cause.

To sign up to the ANCT's Frequent Donor Program click here

Mark your calendars for our Town Hall Meeting on January 14, 2011, at 8 pm at the Armenian Youth Centre. It will serve as an opportunity to report on our activities and initiatives to our community as well as get critical feedback from community members. Rob Oliphant, MP for Don Valley West, will also be present to discuss his recent trip to Armenia.

We wish you and your families a happy and healthy holiday season. May 2011 be a successful year for you, and the Toronto Armenian community at large.


Armenian National Committee of Toronto

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This newsletter was sent by:
Armenian National Committee of Toronto
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Willowdale, Ontario
M2J 4Y4
www.anctoronto.org


© 2010 Armenian National Committee of Toronto.


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Erdogan Sets his Sight on Toronto‏

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ANCT Updates www.anctoronto.org

Turkey to Open a Consulate in Toronto

If you thought that the Turkish lobby in Canada was weak...think again.

This weekend marks the G20 summit which will be taking place in Toronto. Leaders from all over the world will be present at this important meeting including Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

This is a man who has made a multi-million dollar industry out of arm-twisting powerful countries such as the U.S. against recognizing the Armenian Genocide and who cannot hide his pride in having bullied and bribed his way through yet another April 24th.

Furthermore, as part of his agenda this week, Prime Minister Erdogan will be opening a new Turkish Consulate in Toronto. It seems that the Turkish government has targeted Toronto as a place to try and roll back the Armenian community's recent gains, such as the inclusion of the Armenian Genocide in a course administered by the Toronto District School Board. These efforts, and others, by the Turkish lobby are dangerous to the future security of the Armenian nation - but we know that with your help they will not go unopposed.

The Armenian National Committee of Toronto knows the stakes.

That's why we fight night and day across the front lines of the Armenian Cause, to stand up for your views, to defend your values, and to ensure that your voice is heard and respected locally and federally.

But to take on the Turkish lobby we need your help, and we need it right away. So please sign up to our Frequent Donor Program today and send in your secure on-line donation for the Armenian Cause.

Our agenda is to lead our community to further our cause. That's why your donation makes a real difference.

Please take a moment right now to sign up to the Frequent Donor Program and make a commitment to help the cause with a monthly secure on-line donation today of $5, $10, $15, $20, $25 or more.

Every dollar counts and goes directly to advance the cause you hold so close to your heart.

Please visit www.anctoronto.org/donations today to help us make a difference!

The Georgetown Armenian Boy's Farm a Designated Historic Site‏

For the past two years, the Armenian National Committee of Toronto (ANCT) has been working to have the Georgetown Armenian Boys Farmhouse, presently known as the Cedarvale Community Centre, designated as a protected historic and cultural site. Between 1923 and 1927, 109 Armenian boys and 29 Armenian girls who were orphaned during the Ottoman Empire's systematic genocide against the Armenians, were brought to Canada by the Armenian Relief Association and raised in what is currently known as the Cedarvale Community Centre.

After researching the designation process, ANCT approached the Heritage Halton Hills Committee and submitted their request to support an application for designation in 2009. In cooperation with Heritage Halton Hills, the ANCT prepared a designation report, which was presented to the committee at their monthly meeting in December of 2009. The son of a Georgetown Boy and Georgetown Girl, Mr. George Shirinian, the grandson of a Georgetown Boy, Mr. Peter Adourian, and Prof. Isabel Kaprielian also participated with their respective presentations. The Committee approved the designation report in January 2010 and submitted it to Town Council for approval, together with two support letters from Canadian author Marsha Skrypuch and local director Sam Hancock. Halton Hills Town Council reviewed the report at the monthly meeting on March 22, 2010. ANCT members were present at the meeting and Mr. George Shirinian made a presentation on behalf of the Armenian community.

In accordance with the city's regulations, the Town Council published the "Notice of Intention to Designate" in the Independent Free Press, a local newspaper, on April 20, 2010, which appeared for 30 days and thus expired on May 20, 2010 without any reported objections. Halton Hills Town Council officially passed the by-law to designate Cedarvale Park on May 25, 2010.

The unveiling of the official municipal plaque will take place at Cedarvale Park (181-185 Main St. S., Halton Hills, Ontario L7G 3E9) on June 26, 2010 at 2:00pm, in the presence of His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos. The Town of Halton Hills and the ANCT invite members of the Armenian community at large to attend this historic occasion and witness the unveiling of the designation plaque. Buses have been arranged by the Armenian Community Centre, which will depart at 12:30pm. The memory of the Georgetown Boys will be preserved through this designation, as the site will serve as a permanent memorial site commemorating the Armenian Genocide and Canada's role in saving Armenian lives.

The Armenian National Committee of Toronto is a chapter of the Armenian National Committee of Canada, a grassroots organization that was founded in 1965 to address the concerns of the Canadian Armenian community on a broad range of issues.