Latest update January 6th, 2025 4:00 AM
Guyanese-born Winston Kassim appointed to Order of Ontario
Kaieteur News- The leadership of the Canada-Guyana Chamber of Commerce (CGCC), and the Canadian Museum of Indian Civilization, has recognized the appointment of Winston Kassim to the Order of Ontario.
Mr. Kassim, who is a retired Executive Officer at Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), was announced on January 1 as one of 29 new appointments to the Order of Ontario by Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and Chancellor of the Order of Ontario.
Order of Ontario appointee: Winston Kassim
“The 2024 appointees to the Order of Ontario have enriched the lives of countless people in our province and well beyond,” said Ms. Edith Dumont in a press release.
“Together, they have attained the highest level of excellence in many fields, and may we all be inspired by their remarkable contributions.”
“On behalf of everyone at the Chamber, I want to congratulate Winston Kassim on being recognized for his outstanding service to communities around the globe,” said Fareed Amin, Managing Director, Canada Guyana Chamber of Commerce. “Winston’s volunteer work has positively impacted countless people in Guyana, Canada, Africa, and Asia, brought thousands of people from different religions and backgrounds together, and touched the lives of millions.”
This latest recognition of Mr. Kassim’s community service builds on previous awards in 2009 and 2012, and recognizes more than four decades of helping those in need and supporting humanitarian causes in more than 25 countries, including Canada.
In 2009, Mr. Kassim became the first Canadian of Guyanese heritage to be made a member of the Order of Canada, one of the nation’s highest civilian awards, for advocating on behalf of ethnic communities and humanitarian causes at local, national and international levels. His community service was recognized once again in 2012 when he was awarded a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for volunteerism.
“Winston Kassim played instrumental roles in helping establish the Canadian Museum of Indian Civilization in Toronto, in raising funds to establish the Doobay Gafoor Medical Centre and Research Centre in Georgetown, in supporting the growth and development of various community organizations across Canada, and much more,” said Dr. Budhendranauth Doobay, founder of the Voice of the Vedas Cultural Sabha Inc., founder of Vishnu Mandir, founder of the Canadian Museum of Indian Civilization (CMIC), and a former recipient of the Orders of Canada and Ontario.
Since arriving in Canada more than four decades ago, Winston Kassim has made outstanding contributions in the areas of philanthropy, community service and international relations.
By sharing his passion in governance and sustainability acquired while he was an executive at RBC, Mr. Kassim has helped many organizations including the Sunatul Jamaat of Ontario, Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, Malton Islamic Centre, International Development Relief Foundation, Canadian Museum of Indian (Hindu) Civilization, and the Institute for Canadian Citizenship. He has also mobilized and led fundraising to support recovery and development efforts across the globe.
In 2020, Mr. Kassim played a key role in establishing the Canada-Guyana Chamber of Commerce, a bi-national organization that promotes trade and investment between Canada and Guyana.
The Order of Ontario was created in 1986 and is the province’s highest civilian honour. It is awarded to an Ontarian who has shown the highest level of excellence and achievement in their field, and whose impact has left a legacy in the province, in Canada and around the world. Members of the Order are a collective of Ontario’s finest citizens selected from a provincial population of 16 million people, whose contributions have shaped — and continue to shape — the province’s history and place in Canada.
“We are fortunate to have leaders the calibre of Winston Kassim supporting our work at the Chamber and in our communities,” added Mr. Amin. “We are delighted that Winston was among the 29 appointees included in this year’s Order of Ontario recipients, and I join my colleagues in extending to him and his family our heart-felt congratulations on achieving yet another honour for his community work.”
(Guyanese-born Winston Kassim appointed to Order of Ontario)
- Canada, Canadian Museum of Indian Civilization, Guyanese-born, History, Order of Ontario, Winston Kassim
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