“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.”

Dear readers!

HThis August, we mark our 2nd year at ‘GTA This Month’ and because you believed in us, we are still here despite the on-going economic challenge. There has been a mixture of highs and lows over the years for us, but the outpouring of encouragement that we are getting from all of you, either verbally or in writing, is indeed amazing. Sincerely, we would like to thank you for your support.

Recently, I was invited for a radio interview in one of the local ethnic stations in Toronto. I am not an eloquent speaker and as it is normally I who would request for an interview and put people on the spotlight, I contemplated on this invitation. However, I realized that guesting will definitely be another avenue for me to let the people know more about us at ‘GTA This Month’ and so, off I went for the interview.

During the interview, I was asked what makes ‘GTA This Month’ unique, and though as much as I would have liked to expand my answer, our time was very limited. So, briefly I described ‘GTA This Month’ as a people magazine that is sensible and speaks only about the good news. It is basically about you and me and our community. It is a unique community-based magazine targeted to the different ethnic communities.

However, if I was given the chance to speak further about us during this interview, this is what I would have said: Over the years, we have covered and delivered a variety of community news, information on cultural events such as the Filipinos Making Waves, the Brazilian Fest, The Italian Fest, The South-East Asian Fest, the Japanese Spring Fest, Santa Claus Parade, St. Patrick’s Day and The Chinese Festival, just to name a few. We have featured social functions, entertainment, lifestyle, leisure and more. We traveled to different places through our ‘Beyond GTA’, so our readers will learn more about the beauty of certain places and let them virtually feel those places through our excellent layout and colourful photos. More significantly, we have featured inspiring stories from our local personalities who came from different ethnic backgrounds, accomplished exemplary deeds and are celebrities in their own right. We have featured prominent and high profile individuals who are role models and have inspirational messages for our readers. We have provided exposure and recognition to local artists from different art mediums to promote their skills and talents and help them develop as artists. ‘GTA This Month’ is the only ethnic publication that caters to all ages, published on-line and in print.

So, what makes ‘GTA This Month’ unique? “Apart from the substance and excellence of our editorial, we are a community builder. We cater to readers from different ethnic backgrounds by breaking down the barriers of language, ethnicity, race and religion. ‘GTA This Month’ embraces the cultural diversity of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). We do our best to let our readers appreciate the different cultures, value each individual’s ethnicity, and face common challenges that may hinder people from realizing their full potential. Ultimately, we inspire people to become better Canadian citizens. Hence, our magazine’s dictum: “Diversity – We Aspire to Inspire”.

And as the saying goes: “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” So again, many thanks everyone. Join me now in celebrating our second year by flipping or clicking through the pages.

Happy reading!

Criss Papa-Nañola
Editor