Former NBA basketballer and fitness club entrepreneur Steve Nash is among the winners of the fifth annual RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards for 2013 who were honoured at a ceremony in Vancouver yesterday evening.
Nash, originally from South Africa, and six other British Columbians were recognized for their achievements as immigrants to Canada.
“These 25 award winners are a diverse group, ranging from artists to philanthropists to entrepreneurs from a variety of ethnicities across the country,” said Canadian Immigrant magazine editor Margaret Jetelina.
“Each of these winners has an inspiring story about overcoming challenges and making their country a better place to live. We are proud to present our top 25 award to these very deserving recipients.”
The winners from B.C. are:
- Steve Nash of Vancouver, originally from South Africa: former NBA basketball star, entrepreneur of fitness clubs and philanthropist behind the Steve Nash Foundation;
- Sara Eftekhar of Vancouver, from Iran: B.C Youth Ambassador for the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR), activist and volunteer, president and co-founder of the Civic Association of Iranian Canadian Youth Group and a nursing student at UBC;
- Luis Guillermo Guerra of Vancouver, from Mexico: has helped more than 10,000 newcomers in the last five years transition into careers in Canada through his work with the Skills Connect Program for Immigrants;
- Sing Lim Yeo of Vancouver, from Singapore: developer and real-estate broker, whose company is the largest independent real estate brokerage in Western Canada, fundraiser who has raised funds for many charities and established the B.C. Children’s Hospital Realtors Care Endowment Fund;
- Luisa Marshall of Vancouver, from the Philippines: internationally acclaimed Tina Turner tribute artist and TV show host of Simply the Best, a local independent production on the Shaw Multicultural Channel 116;
- Anar Popatia of Coquitlam, from Kenya: partner in a family wealth management practice under Assante Wealth Management and volunteer for the Aga Khan Foundation; and
- Wen Wei Wang of Vancouver, from China: dancer and choreographer through his own company Wen Wei Dance
All 25 winners are being featured on Canadian Immigrant's website and will be in its July print edition.
