Spotlight shines bright on newcomers at annual awards gala

The Heights Ski & Country Club in Oro-Medonte was packed with people for the annual gala on Thurs., Oct. 26, 2023 (Steve Mansbridge/CTV News).

Newcomers to Simcoe County were celebrated for their contributions to the community at an annual awards gala Thursday night.

It was a night of glitz and glam at the 11th annual County of Simcoe Newcomer Recognition Awards ceremony, held at the Heights Ski & Country Club in Oro-Medonte.

The event was created over a decade ago by the Simcoe County Local Immigration Partnership to recognize community leaders and champions who take action to enhance the lives of newcomers in Simcoe County.

This year's gala was the largest to date, with 185 attendees and 14 awards ranging from Youth Community Champion to Culturally Diverse Workforce.

CTV Barrie senior anchor Sarah Freemark emceed the event for the second year.

"I think it was appropriate that I hosted the event last year because I, myself, was a newcomer to the region," Freemark said. "Now, a year later, we have some incredible stories of immigrants, many from Ukraine, who fled the war less than a year ago and are already making an incredible impact in the County of Simcoe."

Ukrainian opera singer Dmytro Garbovskyi brought the crowd to tears with his live performance of the song "Falcons" and was honoured with the Immigrant Artist award.

Having faced adversity due to the conflict in Ukraine, Dmytro made the courageous decision to relocate to Canada with his family, leaving behind a successful career as an opera singer overseas.

Dmytro shared a few emotional words while accepting his award.

"Today was a difficult day for me. I work as a construction worker now, but it was what I had to do. I used to be paid to sing, and now, I will do it for free; I just want to sing again," he said.

The evening included live Bollywood performances by Lasya – Poetry of Footsteps Dance School and a silent auction, hosted by the Ethnic Mosaic Alliance, with proceeds supporting a fundraising campaign to build a multicultural centre in Simcoe County.

The County of Simcoe accepts nominations for individuals, organizations and businesses based within Simcoe County throughout the year and celebrates the award winners every fall.