[Photograph of Chandra Bodalia with Tony Parsons at the B.C. New Canadian Entrepreneur Awards Event]

Photograph of Chandra Bodalia with Tony Parsons at the B.C. New Canadian Entrepreneur Awards event. The awards were sponsored by the Ethno Business Council of British Columbia in conjunction with corporate sponsors.

Born in 1948 in Sisodra, a village in Gujarat, India, Chandravadan "Chandra" Bodalia was a talented artist who pursued higher education in commercial arts and painting at the prestigious Sheth C. N. College of Fine Arts in Ahmedabad. After immigrating to Canada in 1976, Bodalia settled in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he initially worked various jobs, including creating art props and souvenirs for cultural events. In the late 1980s, Bodalia embarked on a career as a photojournalist, documenting the lives of South Asian Canadians with unparalleled dedication. Bodalia photographed important events for the South Asian Canadian community across B.C. and highlighted the unique stories and experiences of the community. He covered a range of events and various facets of life, from community programs and celebrations to cradle to grave events such as weddings, birthdays, cultural festivals, honoring events, political gatherings, and religious ceremonies. The photographs also reflect the intercultural connections and collaborations within the immigrant communities in Canada as well as transnational ties to the South Asian region. Bodalia's work appeared in local newspapers such as The Voice and The Link, earning him widespread recognition and over 20 awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Times of Canada. Bodalia passed away in 2017.

Anthony "Tony" Parsons was born Anthony Parsonage in Gosport, England in 1939, the son of an RAF Officer and an Italian mother. He was educated in various British schools until he was nine, when in 1948 his family decided to move to Canada. In Canada his schooling continued in Toronto, Ontario where he studied Radio and Television Arts at Ryerson Institute of Technology. At 17, his schooling was interrupted when he was hired to be a radio disc jockey at CJCS in Stratford, Ontario. From Stratford, he moved in quick succession to CHOK Sarnia, CJOY in Guelph and on to CHML in Hamilton, where he made the transition from DJ to news reporter. By this time, Parsonage had shortened his surname to Parsons. He had his first television job as reporter/anchor with CFTO-TV where he anchored the late evening news. In 1975, Parsons took a posting in Vancouver, British Columbia, as the West Coast correspondent for CTV National News. Parsons occupied the anchor desk at BCTV (now known as Global BC) for 26 years. In 1989, he was made news director for BCTV, and was later named Vice-President, News. Parsons retired from Global at the end of 2009. During his years in Vancouver, Parsons was the recipient of various awards, including being named Italian Man of the Year by the Brotherhood Interfaith Society in 2002, receiving the Bruce Hutchinson Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jack Webster Foundation in 2004, and being awarded the Queen's 50th Anniversary Commemorative Gold Medal for outstanding service in the community as a journalist. Parsons was inducted into the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) Hall of Fame in November 2009.

The Ethno Business Council of British Columbia (Ethno BC) was established in 1988 to recognize and celebrate the achievements of New Canadian entrepreneurs. Ethno BC acknowledges the contributions that multicultural businesses make to the British Columbia economy by recognizing the achievements of successful entrepreneurs who were born outside of Canada, and who have been in business for at least three years in Canada.