National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada Celebrates Ethnic Media at the 2026 Canadian National Exhibition
Posted on August 24, 2026
The National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada marked an important occasion at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto on August 23, 2026, bringing together journalists, publishers, media professionals, community representatives and distinguished guests for the official opening of the Council's exhibition booth. The occasion celebrated the strength and diversity of Canada's ethnic media and highlighted the important role that community newspapers, magazines, broadcasters and journalists continue to play in connecting Canada's many cultural and linguistic communities.
The National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, widely known as the NEPMCC, is a national non-profit media organization dedicated to strengthening ethnic journalism and promoting the economic, social and cultural interests of Canada's diverse communities within Canadian society. Over many decades, the Council has brought together journalists, publishers and broadcasters serving communities in numerous languages and has advocated for greater recognition of ethnic media as an important part of Canada's wider media landscape. In appearances before Canadian institutions, the Council has repeatedly emphasized the important role ethnic media plays in informing newcomers, connecting generations and helping Canadians remain engaged with both their cultural heritage and their new lives in Canada.
The Council's history is closely connected with the development of multicultural journalism in Canada. Organized ethnic press representation can be traced to the creation of the Ethnic Press Association of Ontario in 1950 and the founding of the Canada Ethnic Press Federation in Ottawa in 1958. As Canada's immigrant population expanded and became increasingly diverse, ethnic publications became an essential means of communication for communities establishing themselves across the country. Over time, the organization that would become the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada evolved to include a much broader range of publications and electronic media while seeking to integrate ethnic media more fully into Canada's mainstream media environment.
The Canadian National Exhibition provides an especially meaningful platform for this mission. The CNE is one of Toronto's most recognizable annual public gatherings, attracting people representing countless cultures, languages, generations and communities. Against this backdrop, the NEPMCC booth offers visitors an opportunity to see the extraordinary diversity of Canada's ethnic press gathered together in one place. The Council itself has previously described the CNE as an important stage for highlighting the strength of ethnic media in Canada and has encouraged its members to provide copies of their publications for display at its annual exhibition booth.
On August 23, 2026, the NEPMCC officially launched its 2026 CNE booth with a ceremonial ribbon cutting attended by Council representatives, journalists, publishers, community members and invited guests. The bright red ribbon stretched across the front of the exhibition as participants gathered together for the opening ceremony. The ribbon cutting served as both the formal inauguration of the booth and a symbolic opening of the Council's showcase to the thousands of visitors attending the Canadian National Exhibition.
Behind the ribbon-cutting ceremony stood an extensive exhibition of ethnic newspapers and publications from communities across Canada. The large display carried the name "National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada" prominently across the top, while Canadian maple leaves framed the Council's name. Sections throughout the booth identified publications associated with communities including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Pakistan, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Sri Lanka and many others. Newspapers and publications were displayed across the walls and arranged across tables at the front of the booth, creating a vivid representation of Canada's multicultural media landscape.
The exhibition also carried messages reflecting the Council's broader mission. One prominent display highlighted the ability of ethnic media to reach millions of Canadian readers, while another featured the message "Together for a Strong and United Canada." These messages captured the larger significance of the exhibition. Although individual ethnic publications may serve particular linguistic or cultural communities, collectively they contribute to the Canadian media landscape and help create connections between communities that may have different histories but share a common home in Canada.
The booth also illustrated the extraordinary variety found within Canada's ethnic press. Community newspapers often provide coverage that larger national outlets cannot offer at the same level of detail, including local cultural celebrations, community achievements, immigration matters, business developments, political participation, charitable initiatives and stories about individuals making contributions within their communities. For newcomers to Canada, these publications can also provide important information in familiar languages while helping readers understand Canadian institutions, government programs, elections, community services and civic life.
Joining Mr. Thomas S. Saras during the occasion were prominent members of Canada's multicultural media community, including Mr. Ravi Atchuthan, Founder and CEO of T Vision Media, and Mr. Logan Logendralingam, publisher of Uthayan News. Their attendance alongside Mr. Saras reflected the connections and cooperation that exist among journalists, publishers and media organizations working to strengthen multicultural journalism in Canada. Mr. Logendralingam has also held a senior leadership role within the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada. Earlier in 2026, he facilitated a meeting between Mr. Saras and Mr. Atchuthan focused on strengthening connections within Canada's diverse media landscape, making their presence together at the CNE another meaningful moment of collaboration among ethnic media leaders.
Mr. Ravi Atchuthan's participation also represented the growing importance of visual journalism and digital media within Canada's multicultural media sector. As Founder and CEO of T Vision Media, Mr. Atchuthan has been involved in documenting community events, cultural programs and significant occasions through media and photojournalism. His presence alongside established publishers and representatives of the NEPMCC demonstrated how the ethnic media landscape continues to expand beyond traditional print journalism to include photography, digital publishing, video and other forms of contemporary storytelling.
Mr. Logan Logendralingam, meanwhile, represents the longstanding contribution of Tamil journalism to Canada's multicultural media community through his work with Uthayan News. The NEPMCC has identified Mr. Logendralingam in its leadership as a Senior Vice President, demonstrating his involvement not only as a publisher but also within the broader organizational structure representing Canada's ethnic press. Uthayan News has also documented the Council's previous participation at the Canadian National Exhibition, including its annual booth opening and the gathering of members, guests and journalists around President Mr. Thomas S. Saras.
At the centre of the occasion was Mr. Thomas S. Saras, President and CEO of the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, whose decades of leadership and advocacy have made him an important figure in Canada's ethnic media community. Mr. Saras has represented the interests of ethnic publishers and broadcasters before major Canadian institutions, including parliamentary committees and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission. In these appearances, he has consistently advocated for the recognition of ethnic media and its importance to Canadian society.
Mr. Saras has played a particularly important role in the development and restructuring of the Council. The organization's historical account identifies him among a group of media leaders who worked to reshape the ethnic press organization to address the changing realities of Canadian multiculturalism. Their objectives included building the professional capacity of ethnic media organizations, bringing media representatives from different cultural backgrounds together and integrating ethnic media more closely with mainstream Canadian journalism and public policy discussions. The August 23 program also included a special moment of recognition for Mr. Saras. During the stage portion of the event, Mr. Thomas S. Saras was honoured in recognition of his leadership and contributions.
The presentation was an appropriate recognition of a career closely associated with advocacy for multicultural journalism. Mr. Saras has spoken publicly about the ability of ethnic newspapers, magazines, radio and television to serve as bridges between cultures. In testimony before the CRTC, he explained that newcomers often seek connections both with the countries and cultures from which they came and with the Canadian society they are joining. Ethnic media, in this sense, provides more than news. It can help people understand their new country while maintaining important linguistic and cultural connections.
Mr. Saras has also emphasized the changing nature of Canada's population and the need for media to reflect that diversity. His appearances before government bodies over the years demonstrate the Council's sustained effort to ensure that ethnic journalists and publishers have a voice in national conversations concerning broadcasting, journalism, government communications and media policy. His leadership has therefore been connected not only with the administration of the Council, but also with a broader effort to ensure that multicultural media is recognized as an integral part of Canadian journalism.
The stage celebration further demonstrated the spirit of unity surrounding the occasion. A large group of guests, journalists, media representatives and community figures gathered together beneath the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada banner for a commemorative photograph. Individuals representing different cultural and professional backgrounds stood side by side beneath Canadian maple leaf symbols, creating a powerful visual representation of the Council's central message of diversity within a united Canada.
The 2026 booth also continued a longstanding NEPMCC tradition at the Canadian National Exhibition. The Council has organized booth inaugurations at previous editions of the CNE, bringing its members and their publications into one of Canada's most visible public spaces. Council records from 2022 specifically describe the CNE as a major stage for highlighting the strength of the NEPMCC and ethnic media in Canada. The organization encouraged its members to bring copies of their publications to the booth so visitors could encounter the breadth of multicultural journalism produced across the country.
Ultimately, the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada's August 23, 2026 presence at the Canadian National Exhibition was a celebration of journalism, multiculturalism and Canadian unity. From the official ribbon cutting and extensive exhibition of community newspapers to the gathering of media leaders and the recognition of Mr. Thomas S. Saras, the occasion demonstrated the enduring strength of Canada's ethnic media community.
The message displayed prominently within the NEPMCC exhibition, "Together for a Strong and United Canada," captured the spirit of the occasion. Canada's communities may speak different languages, publish different newspapers and carry different cultural traditions, but their stories collectively form part of the Canadian experience. Through organizations such as the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada and through the dedication of publishers, journalists, photographers and media leaders across the country, those stories continue to be documented, shared and preserved for generations to come.
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