Mr. David Taylor

Mr. David Taylor

Community leader, entrepreneur and philanthropist

A David Taylor is a proud husband, father, and grandfather. He is a Management Accountant and is currently President of Barvid Financial Services Inc. He spent his working years in Jamaica with Coopers & Lybrand (now part of PricewaterhouseCoopers), and subsequently joined the Toronto office when he emigrated to Canada in 1980.

Taylor established Barvid Financial Services Inc. ("BFSI") in 1995. The firm services a niche market, handling the business affairs of professional services firms. In this regard, BFSI has been, and continues to be, involved in the establishment of some of the premier legal boutiques in the City of Toronto. Additionally, BFSI believes strongly in social justice, and in giving back to the communities to which it belongs. To this end, the firm has used its financial management skills to assist a number of organizations which benefit both the Canadian and Jamaican communities.

He also currently serves as President of Ecuhome Corporation: a non-profit housing corporation that provides quality affordable housing and support for people who have experienced homelessness. Ecuhome operates 58 shared houses, an historic 60-room rooming house, and 5 apartment buildings throughout Toronto.

Taylor has served on various boards and committees in the past. He is a past President of the Jamaica College Old Boys' Association of Canada; a former Chair of the Social Justice and Advocacy Board of the Anglican Diocese of Toronto; a former Treasurer and Director of Project Work, a charity which provides training to, and obtains jobs for, young adults with intellectual disabilities; a former member of the Town of Markham's Achievement and Civic Recognition Awards Committee; a former member of Council of The Anglican Diocese of Toronto; and a delegate from the Diocese to The General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada. He currently sits on the Allocations Committee of FaithWorks, the arm of the Diocese of Toronto that provides annual funding of over $1.2 Million to various charities and Ministries in the Episcopal Area.
On January 1, 2014, Taylor will be presented with the Order of the Diocese of Toronto at the inaugural awards presentation by the Archbishop of Toronto. This award recognizes significant contributions made by lay persons to making a difference in the life of the church, and people in their communities.

Mr. Roger Mooking

Mr. Roger Mooking

Celebrity chef, television host, author, award winning recording artist.

Trinidadian born chef Roger Mooking has earned a reputation as one of North America's premier Chefs by developing a culinary philosophy built on perfect execution of globally inspired culinary traditions. As a third generation restaurateur and chef he began his formal training through the esteemed George Brown Culinary Management Program where he graduated with Top Honors and is now the Chair of the Professional Advisory Committee.

Roger continued his training at Toronto's world-renowned Royal York Hotel before co-owning and consulting on many food and beverage operations. Currently Roger is working with Pearson International Airport to open "Twist by Roger Mooking"; a restaurant, set to open in summer 2014, that takes a global twist on locally sourced North American comfort foods. Roger's restaurants has been on various "Best Of" lists and he was recently awarded the "Premiers Award" for excellence in the field of Creative Arts and Design.

He is the Host and Co-Creator of his own Internationally broadcast television series Everyday Exotic. His award-winning cookbook, based on the show, explores paring ingredients from all corners of the globe with everyday meals. He is also the Co-host of Heat Seekers airing on Food Network and Host of Man Fire Food on Cooking Channel. Roger is a reoccurring judge on Chopped Canada, which premiered to an all-time audience record high for Food Network Canada. His culinary talents have led to appearances on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Marilyn Denis, Top Chef Canada and Iron Chef to name a few.

In addition, Roger is a Juno award winning recording artist who has graced the stage with artists such as James Brown and Celine Dion. His album "Feedback" was released summer 2013. According to Roger 'food feeds the body, music feeds the soul. It's all food in various forms'.

But for Roger, what is most important is being a dedicated husband and father of four girls.

You could say Roger has a full plate!

Ms. Delores Lawrence

Ms. Delores Lawrence

CEO of NHI Nursing, community leader and philanthropist

Delores is the founder; President & CEO of NHI Nursing & Homemakers Inc. since 1985. A company that offers health care staffing and home care services. NHI impacts the Canadian economy with several hundred employees comprising of temp, perm, casual employees. Over 50 different languages spoken throughout the organization. NHI is committed to continuous quality improvement and in September 2013 the organization received Accreditation with Commendation from Accreditation Canada, an organization that measures NHI's standard of practice against national standards. Recipient of four consecutive years of Consumers' Choice Award for Excellence in Nurse Services.

Over the past eight years Delores thru NHI has provided several students from various organizations placements and mentoring for a variety of programs. She has organized shipment of variety of medical equipment and supplies to various hospitals and infirmaries in Jamaica and have facilitated visits by politicians and medical students from Jamaica to hospitals and long term care facilities in Canada. She also contributed financially to various community organizations in Jamaica and Canada.

A recipient of many awards and recognitions. Appointed to the Anglican Church Diocese of Toronto Executive and Diocesan Council in 2006 to present. Co-chair of the Diocese's recent successful $50 million fundraising campaign. 2004-2012. Chair of Operation Vote Canada.

Appointed as delegate of the Canadian Government to the First Canadian business women trade mission to the USA ( 1997), Recipient of University of the West Indies Graduate Nurses Alumni Award ( 2002), African Canadian Achievement Award - Business (2003), Recipient of the Order of Ontario ( 2004),- . 2013 the Queen's Jubilee Medal. Province of Ontario Volunteer Award 2011, Black Nurses Network Award for Innovation an Entrepreneurship (2007), JCA Community Award, Planet Africa Enterprise Award(2009) Harry Jerome Award (2010) In 2013 for the 9th. Consecutive year made the Canada's top 100 Women Entrepreneurs Canada list.

Appointed to the Order of Ontario Advisory Board- 2013, Ontario Judicial Council in 2010-2014, Director and Chair of Seneca College Board of Governors. Director and Chair of Academic & Patient Care Comm.of Sunnybrook & Women's Hospital , Member of the Toronto International Film Festival Group Capital Campaign.

A Registered Nurse with the College of Nurses of Ontario. Grad.of York Univ., MBA from Univ. of New Hampshire, Dipl. in Business Mgmt. from Harvard Business School, Grad. Univ. of Toronto/Rotman's Institute of Corporate Governance Program; Grad in Lay Ministry from Wycliffe College- University of Toronto.

Dr. Anna Jarvis

Dr. Anna Jarvis

Physician, University of Toronto Professor

Medical Education:

MBBS and internship, University of the West Indies, Mona (1969).

Paediatric Residency University of Toronto (1972-1976)

Chief Resident (1975-1976)

Appointments:

Holberton Hospital Casualty Department, Antigua

Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto and SickKids (1977-present), Faculty Division of Paediatric Medicine and Associate Faculty Division of General Paediatrics (1977-2010)

Leadership Positions:

Medical Director, Division of Emergency Medicine (1992-1998)

Medical Director, Child Health Network, SickKids (1998 - 2000)

Associate Dean, Health Professions, Student Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, UoT (2001-2009)

Educational Leadership: career passion is improved child outcomes through: health care provider education; creation and implementation of triage and treatment guidelines.

Major contributor to the evolution of Canadian Emergency Medicine (EM) and Paediatric Emergency Medicine (PEM) as distinct specialties

Royal College EM Board examiner

PEM examination board member

Participated in development of Emergency Medical Services, instructing initial Land and Air cohorts; Served on Land Education Advisory (1984-1998)

Creates and teaches Paediatric Life Support Courses for Department of Paediatrics and the Michener Institute

Chair, Paediatric Life Support Advisory and Medical Advisor Michener (2005-2012)

Collaboration with Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (1990-2009) led to publication of Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) 1999, with annual reviews. Co-author with Dr.Warren and Ms. Leblanc of Paediatric CTAS (P-CTAS) 2001. P-CTAS implemented in Japan and some Gulf States by former PEM trainees.

Created and coordinated unique Clinical Fellowship in Paediatric Emergency Medicine (1992 - 2005). International Medical Graduates, qualified "specialists" in their home countries (Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine, Paediatrics, Critical Care) recruited, oriented and mentored during one to three year fellowship. The vast majority returned to countries of origin, often as leaders. Ongoing mentorship and consultations for many graduates.

Collaborated with SickKids colleagues to develop the first Sickle Cell Syndrome clinical treatment plans for Child Health Network, Greater Toronto Area hospitals, to standardize and improve emergency care of these patients.

Facilitated academic success through coordination of student support services (1600-1700 students/year) as Associate Dean 2001-2009. Equal emphasis placed on student life enrichment, with coaching and encouragement for students to become contributing citizens. Created and participated in a wide range of Educational Programs for "students" in most Health Care Professions.

Recipient of multiple awards. In particular:

University of Toronto Annual Emergency Medicine Teaching Awards named in her honour,

Award for the graduating medical student who demonstrated outstanding personal qualities, in support and care of peers.

Canadian Paediatric Society Lifetime Achievement Teaching Award in Emergency Medicine, given biannually, named the Dr. Anna Jarvis Award.

Ontario Medical Society recognized her contributions with the Physicians Care Award 2012.

A proud member of the Jamaican diaspora, she supports many community activities, in particular PACE Canada. Most recently participated in Jamaica 50 celebrations, serving on the Art and Literature Committee.

The Right Reverend Peter DeCourcy Fenty

The Right Reverend Peter DeCourcy Fenty

Bishop of York Simcoe

The Right Reverend Peter DeCourcy Fenty M.Div. (Hons); B.A.; L.Th; Dip.Th.

Bishop Peter Fenty, a Barbadian, has been ordained for thirty-eight years, and was consecrated a Bishop on June 22, 2013 in St. James Cathedral Toronto. He was appointed the area bishop of York Simcoe. Peter is the first Black Bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada.

Bishop Fenty has a passion for pastoral ministry and served with distinction in five parishes in the Dioceses of Barbados, Montreal and Toronto. In 2003 he was appointed as the Executive Officer to the Bishop of Toronto, and Archdeacon of York until 2013. Peter is a graduate of Codrington College and the University of the West Indies, Barbados and Huron College of the University of Western Ontario. He holds a Diploma in Theological Studies, Licentiate of Theology, Bachelor of Arts in History, Sociology and Theology, and a Master of Divinity with honours.

Peter has always been involved in the communities in which he ministered and is a strong advocate for social justice, human rights and ecumenism. This is reflected in the many organizations, committees and boards on which he served. They include being chair of the Partners in Mission Committee and the Anti-Racism Implementation Group of the Anglican Church of Canada, the Diocese of Toronto's Social Justice and Advocacy Committee, the Diocese of Montreal's Social Outreach Committee, the No Longer Strangers Multicultural Committee and the Board of the Black Community Council of Quebec. Peter was also the deputy chair of the Barbados Community College Board of Management 1989-1992.

In his homeland Barbados, he served as Chaplain to the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill), the National Union of Public Workers, St. Gabriel's School and Honorary Chaplain to the Barbados Defense Force. He also did a short stint as a radio talk show host at two radio stations in Barbados.

Bishop Fenty was a member of the Afro-Anglican Co-coordinating Committee for the conference held in Toronto in 2005. He has been the recipient of many awards including the Pride of Barbados Award.

Bishop Fenty is supported in his ministry by his wife Angela Allman-Fenty who is an educator; their son Andre who holds a degree in Journalism and is married to Jacquelyn Norrish; and their daughter Peta-Anne who holds a degree in French and is also an educator. She is married to Mubarak Anashara.

Tessanne Chin

Tessanne Chin

Singer

Tessanne Chin is NBC's 'THE VOICE 2013"

Tessanne Chin is a reggae fusion recording artist, with a solo album In Between Words and is known for her hit singles "Hideaway", "Messenger" and "Black Books." She is the fresh soulful voice of a new generation of musical talent that has come out of Jamaica. Her sultry fusion of dancehall and reggae with edgy rock riffs mixed with the honest, heartfelt and conscious lyrics she pens herself, creates a musical style that is uniquely her own. And now with the title of The Voice 2013, her powerful vocals, and extraordinary stage presence have been showcased internationally.

She comes from a family steeped in music - her mother was the trumpeter and singer in her band called the Carnations and her father was the drummer. The family owns a recording studio in Jamaica.

Tessanne started performing when she was six years old with Cathy Levy's "Little People and Teen Players Club", one of Jamaica's top performing arts schools. Most of her vocal coaching came from her mother and also from noted vocal coach Lecie Wright. She learned firsthand about cultural diversity when she moved to England at age 12, where she coped with the move by devoting a lot of time to writing songs.

She has opened for musical icons such as Patti Labelle, Peabo Bryson and Gladys Knight, and toured for 3 years with Jimmy Cliff, recorded with superstar Shaggy and collaborated with many artistes including Trinidad and Tobago's KES. In 2013, she took part in season 5 of the American singing competition The Voice as part of Adam Levine's Team.

The Honourable Dr. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P.

The Honourable Dr. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P.

The Honourable Dr. Hedy Fry, P.C., M.P was first elected to Parliament for Vancouver Centre in 1993 becoming the first rookie to defeat a sitting Prime Minister. She has been re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2011.

Dr. Fry began in 1993 as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health. She spent 6 years from 1996-2002 in Cabinet serving as Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and the Minister for the Status of Women. She was on a number of Cabinet Committees regarding health, social policy, volunteerism, homelessness and same-sex benefits. She was also the Minister responsible for the Vancouver agreement.

She immigrated to Canada in 1970. She practiced family medicine at St. Paul's Hospital in the West End of Vancouver for two decades and was a local, provincial and national leader in medical politics. She served as president of the Vancouver Medical Association (VMA), BC Medical Association (BCMA), and the Federation of Medical Women.

As a Minister, Dr. Fry represented the Canadian government as Head of delegation at many high-profile, multilateral Conventions of the United Nations, Francophonie, Commonwealth, Organization of American States and Council of Europe, most notably Canada's 4th Report to the UN Commission on Human Rights, UN's Beijing Plus 2000 and the World Conference Against Racism (WCAR) in Durban. She was recently re-appointed the Special Representative on Gender Issues of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly (PA).

In 2006, Dr. Fry ran for the Leadership of the Liberal Party as the first immigrant woman to do so with her "True Grit" campaign. Dr. Fry served as Opposition Critic for Sports and the 2010 Olympics, and for Canadian heritage. Currently, Dr. Fry serves as BC Federal Liberal Caucus Chair and the Federal Liberal Health Critic.

She lives in Vancouver and has three sons. She continues working hard at key priorities of representing her constituents and fighting for issues such as justice and human rights, health care, poverty, housing and homelessness, education and many other issues.

Dr. the Honourable Jimmy Cliff, OM

Dr. the Honourable Jimmy Cliff, OM

Reggae Legend

Jimmy Cliff was reggae's first international star and remains its greatest living ambassador, having taken the music of Jamaica to all corners of the world. He had hits outside of Jamaica as far back as 1969, when "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" reached Number Six in Britain and Number 25 in the U.S. Yet his career breakthrough came in the Seventies, with the release of the soundtrack to The Harder They Come. That album served as a primer on reggae music for the uninitiated, and half of its tracks were by Jimmy Cliff. They included three songs that have become reggae standards: the ebullient "You Can Get It If You Really Want," the anthemic "The Harder they Come" and the hymn-like "Many Rivers to Cross."

In addition to writing and singing those songs, Cliff starred in the ?lm. The Harder They Come was the first feature film written and directed by a Jamaican and shot on location using an all-native cast. Cliff played a budding singer from the Jamaican countryside who gets caught up in the renegade world of drugs and violence in the slums of Kingston. The movie became a huge success in Jamaica and a cult classic elsewhere. The soundtrack, released in America on Chris Blackwell's Mango label (a subsidiary of his Island Records) in 1973, proved to be a steady seller, though it didn't enter Billboard's album chart until March 1975 - still a full two months before Bob Marley and the Wailers first cracked the U.S. charts with Natty Dread.

Jimmy Cliff was born James Chambers in St. James, Jamaica. He adopted the stage name "Cliff" to acknowledge the heights he intended to climb. His First recordings date back to 1962, and two of his songs ("Ska All Over the World," "Trust No Man") were included on a 1964 anthology, The Real Jamaican Ska, released in the U.S. on Epic Records. Hooking up with legendary Jamaican producer Leslie Kong, Cliff unleashed a string of hit singles in his homeland throughout the Sixties, including "Hurricane Hattie," "Miss Jamaica" and "King of Kings." He was among those chosen to represent Jamaica at the 1964 World's Fair in New York.

Blackwell groomed Cliff to be the artist who would break reggae into the international mainstream. Cliff moved to London for a period to further that goal. Hard Road to Travel, his first British album, was released in 1968, and the Top 10 success of "Wonderful World, Beautiful People" followed the next year. His controversial 1970 single "Viet Nam" was a minor British hit. That same year, his version of Cat Stevens' "Wild World" - with Stevens producing and playing piano - went to Number Eight in the U.K. A cover of Cliff's "You Can Get It if You Really Want" by Desmond Dekker, his friend and fellow Jamaican singer, soared to Number Two on the British charts in 1970 - a few years before the inclusion of Cliff's original version in The Harder They Come. Cliff's 1972 single "Trapped" was also produced by Cat Stevens. Subsequently covered by Bruce Springsteen, it received great exposure from its inclusion on the We Are the World charity album from 1985.

His last album for Island Records was 1973's Struggling Man, at which point he signed with Reprise and embarked on a period of stylistic experimentation that included such albums as Another Cycle (a soul/pop album cut at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios), Unlimited and Brave Warrior. One of the standouts in his catalog, Give Thankx (1978), included the militant anthem "Stand Up and Fight Back." In the early Eighties, he returned to rootsy reggae on Give the People What They Want (1981) and Special (1982). The latter album, his first for Columbia Records, was recorded at Channel One Studios in Kingston with some of Jamaica's best producers and engineers. Cliff dubbed his touring band Oneness, and they performed all over the world, including Africa.

Cliff returned to movies with his appearance in the 1985 comedy Club Paradise (starring Robin Williams), set in the Caribbean. Cliff and Oneness toured with head-liner Steve Winwood in 1986. In 1993, Cliff's recording of Johnny Nash's early-Seventies hit "I Can See Clearly Now" - included on the soundtrack of Cool Runnings, a film about the Jamaican bobsledding team - became a Top 20 hit.

Jimmy Cliff's role as a reggae pioneer was celebrated in 2003 with a Deluxe Edition reissue of The Harder They Come and a two-disc Jimmy Cliff Anthology.

"My role has always been as the shepherd of reggae music," Cliff has noted. "When they wanted to bring reggae to America, they sent Jimmy Cliff. When they wanted to bring reggae to England, they sent Jimmy Cliff. When they wanted to bring reggae to Africa, they sent Jimmy Cliff."

Sick Kids

Sick Kids

The Hospital for Sick Children

The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) is recognized as one of the world's foremost paediatric health-care institutions and is Canada's leading centre dedicated to advancing children's health through the integration of patient care, research and education. Founded in 1875 and affiliated with the University of Toronto, SickKids is one of Canada's most research-intensive hospitals and has generated discoveries that have helped children globally.

Its mission is to provide the best in complex and specialized family-centred care; pioneer scientific and clinical advancements; share expertise; foster an academic environment that nurtures health-care professionals; and champion an accessible, comprehensive and sustainable child health system. SickKids is proud of its vision for Healthier Children. A Better World.

The history of SickKids includes these landmarks:

1892: A school was opened at SickKids, marking the first time a school has been set up within a hospital.

1919: SickKids pioneered blood transfusion for children.

1930: Doctors at SickKids invented the pre-cooked cereal, Pablum, which provided infants with nutrition and generated funds for establishment of SickKids Research Institute in 1954.

1963: Dr. William Thornton Mustard developed the Mustard procedure used to help correct heart problems in "blue babies."

1973: SickKids Foundation was established to raise funds for SickKids.

1989: The gene responsible for cystic fibrosis was discovered by Dr. Tsui Lap-chee and other SickKids scientists. Although a cure for CF has not been found, the life span of CF patients has since improved considerably.

1996: A team led by Dr. Lori J. West conducted the first intentional ABO-incompatible heart transplant in infants. As a result, mortality for infants on the heart transplantation waiting list at SickKids would be cut from 58 per cent to 7 per cent in the study group.

1998: The Centre for Applied Genomics was established.

2009: SickKids researchers identified eight genes, which, when mutated, cause medulloblastoma, the most common childhood brain cancer.

2010: SickKids partnered with Hamad Medical Corporation and Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital to advise on the creation of a state-of-the-art children's hospital in Doha. Qatar.

2013: The Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning opened on September 17 -a hub for researchers and learners to congregate and share ideas to transform child health care. Standing as a testament to the past, present and future scientific achievements of SickKids, the Centre is an architectural landmark in Toronto's Discovery District.

For more information, please visit www.sickkids.ca.

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