In our city’s history, immigrants have always played an important role. They build our economic prosperity, diversify our culture, contribute to our social vitality.

Jim Watson
Mayor of Ottawa
Canada has been shaped by people who came from all over the world to build this country. WOW offers a platform for us to celebrate this history and the future it will help…

Alex Munter, Chair of the OLIP Council and President and CEO of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre
The OLIP Council is committed to leadership.  In only a few years, we have a common vision and priorities, and are up to the task of implementing the Ottawa Immigration Strategy.

Salimatou Diallo
OLIP Council Vice Chair, Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario
I’m really impressed with the level of energy and commitment around the Health and Wellbeing table and look forward to continuing collaboration between OLIP and OPH.

Marcela Tapia
Ottawa Public Health
The target beneficiary of the work of OLIP is the whole community. In this short period we have planted together important seeds for Ottawa’s development.  

Dick Stewart
OLIP Council
The WOW seminar on immigrant women’s nutrition and health was a step in the right direction towards closing the gap between academic researchers and service providers.

Josephine Etowa
Associate Professor, School of Nursing, University of Ottawa
The City of Ottawa will continue to play a lead role in the implementation of the Ottawa Immigration Strategy, just as we did in the founding of OLIP.

Steve Desroches
City Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Ottawa
We are very pleased to have done the “Opportunity Cost of Not Investing in Interpretation” report – it is so important to have clarity on these challenges and…

Hindia Mohamoud, Director, OLIP
The work and expertise that OLIP brings to our community is so important as it helps us to build bridges and break down silos.  I look forward to our continued work together. 

Jim Watson, Mayor of Ottawa
My nomination is an indication that our hard work in building Canada is recognized. All we do is to serve the community in return for embracing us when we needed it.  

Mehdi Mahdavi
Ottawa Immigrant Entrepreneurship Awards Nominee

Immigrant Heritage Walking Tours 2022

June 7, 2022

Take a journey through some of Ottawa’s most interesting neighbourhoods. As part of Welcoming Ottawa Week, June 20 to 30, 2022, the Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership and Heritage Ottawa are pleased to host a series of guided walking tours of Chinatown, Little Italy, Byward Market and Vanier.

These tours are designed to showcase the important contributions of immigrants to the social, cultural, and economic development and vitality of these neighbourhoods. Participants will have the opportunity to discover the treasure trove of history, food, art, architecture, places of worship, and the myriad of businesses that have flourished there thanks to the efforts of successive generations of immigrants and of their descendants.

Offered in English and French, the tours have knowledgeable, animated guides that draw upon their personal experiences in telling the story of each neighbourhood. These tours help to expand the understanding not only of the neighbourhoods, but their progression over time, as Ottawa has evolved to the present-day rich mosaic of diverse cultures.

Date and Time Description Registration Link
Monday, June 20, 2022

6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Tour of Chinatown (English)

 

Join us for a guided tour in English of Chinatown with Don Kwan to learn about the contribution of immigrant communities to the neighbourhood, along with its history, people and vibrant culture. They learn about the multicultural village this neighbourhood has become, not only including Asian cultures, but also influences from French Canada, the Middle East, Latin America and more.

The tour starts at the Plant Recreation Centre (930 Somerset Street West) and ends at the Ottawa Chinatown Royal Arch (near Bronson Avenue and Somerset Street West intersection).

This tour is part of a series of Immigrant Heritage Walking Tours organized by Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership (OLIP) and Heritage Ottawa during Welcoming Ottawa Week (June 20 to 30, 2022).

About the Tour Guide

Don Kwan is the guide for the Chinatown tour in English. He is a well-known artist and figure in Ottawa’s Chinatown and organizer of the annual Chinatown festival – Chinatown Remixed. He includes his own extensive knowledge of the neighbourhood to develop the tour script.

 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/359134680497
 Friday, June 24, 2022

4:30 pm – 6 :00 pm

 

ByWard Market (English)

 

Established in 1826, the Byward Market is one of Canada’s oldest and largest public markets. It is home to a local farmer’s market and artisans with many stands, as well as over 600 businesses. French-Canadian and Jewish merchants and vendors were two of the dominant ethnic cultures for many decades. Hotels, taverns and boarding houses also became common on the streets around the market. Today, many immigrant-owned restaurants and stores can be found in the area. Mario Belisle is the guide for the French and English language tours of the Byward Market.

The tour starts in front of Giant Tiger (98 George St.)

This tour is part of a series of Immigrant Heritage Walking Tours organized by the Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership and Heritage Ottawa during Welcoming Ottawa Week (June 20 to 30, 2022).

 

About the Guide

Mario Bélisle is the guide for the French and English language tours of the Byward Market. He holds a Bachelor of Arts, specialization in Theater from the University of Ottawa and he is an educator and program manager at the Museopark Vanier.  An excellent popularizer, Mario knows how to share his passion for our history and our culture like no one else.

 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/359170808557
Saturday, June 25, 2022

10:00 am to 11:30 am

ByWard Market (French)

 

Established in 1826, the Byward Market is one of Canada’s oldest and largest public markets. It is home to a local farmer’s market and artisans with many stands, as well as over 600 businesses. French-Canadian and Jewish merchants and vendors were two of the dominant ethnic cultures for many decades. Hotels, taverns and boarding houses also became common on the streets around the market. Today, many immigrant-owned restaurants and stores can be found in the area. Mario Belisle is the guide for the French and English language tours of the Byward Market.

The tour starts in front of Giant Tiger (98 George St.)

This tour is part of a series of Immigrant Heritage Walking Tours organized by the Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership and Heritage Ottawa during Welcoming Ottawa Week (June 20 to 30, 2022).

 

About the Guide

Mario Bélisle is the guide for the French and English language tours of the Byward Market. He holds a Bachelor of Arts, specialization in Theater from the University of Ottawa and he is an educator and program manager at the Museopark Vanier.  An excellent popularizer, Mario knows how to share his passion for our history and our culture like no one else.

 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/359208441117
Thursday, June 23, 2022

5:00 pm to 6:30 pm

Little Italy (English)

Guided walk in English with Don Kwan throughout Little Italy to learn about the contribution of immigrant communities to the neighbourhood, along with its history, people and vibrant culture. Participants take a leisurely stroll down Preston Street, hearing about the Italian community and other immigrants who settled in the area. They learn about important institutions like St. Anthony’s Soccer Club and visit many landmarks.

 

The tour starts at the Plant Recreation Centre (930 Somerset Street West) and ends at Saint Anthony of Padua Church (427 Booth Street).

 

This tour is part of a series of Immigrant Heritage Walking Tours organized by the Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership and Heritage Ottawa during Welcoming Ottawa Week (June 20 to 30, 2022).

 

About the Tour Guide

Don Kwan is the English-language guide for Little Italy tour. He is a well-known artist and figure in Ottawa’s Chinatown and organizer of the annual Chinatown festival – Chinatown Remixed. He includes his own extensive knowledge of the neighbourhood to develop the tour script.

 

 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/359157207877
Tuesday, June 28, 2022

6:30 pm to 8:00 pm

Tour of Chinatown (second tour in English)

 

Join us for a guided tour in English of Chinatown with Don Kwan to learn about the contribution of immigrant communities to the neighbourhood, along with its history, people and vibrant culture. They learn about the multicultural village this neighbourhood has become, not only including Asian cultures, but also influences from French Canada, the Middle East, Latin America and more.

The tour starts at the Plant Bath Recreation Centre (930 Somerset Street West) and ends at the Ottawa Chinatown Royal Arch (near Bronson Avenue and Somerset Street West intersection).

This tour is part of a series of Immigrant Heritage Walking Tours organized by Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership (OLIP) and Heritage Ottawa during Welcoming Ottawa Week (June 20 to 30, 2022).

About the Tour Guide

Don Kwan is the guide for the Chinatown tour in English. He is a well-known artist and figure in Ottawa’s Chinatown and organizer of the annual Chinatown festival – Chinatown Remixed. He includes his own extensive knowledge of the neighbourhood to develop the tour script.

 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/359145633257
Wednesday, June 29, 2022

7:00 pm to 8:30 pm 

Vanier (Bilingual)

The Vanier area settlement began in the 19th century and grew in 1908, from the small communities of Janeville, Clarkstown and Clandeboye, to become Eastview. It was in 1969 that the area took the name Vanier. The francophone population was dominant for many decades of the 20th century, but today there are now many sizeable newcomer populations. Beginning in the 1980s and 1990s, the area began attracting Inuit, African, Afro-Caribbean and Middle Eastern communities.Mario Bélisle is the guide for the bilingual tour of Vanier.

The tour starts under the mural of Sir Georges Vanier (150 Montréal Rd).

 

This tour is part of a series of Immigrant Heritage Walking Tours organized by the Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership and Heritage Ottawa during Welcoming Ottawa Week (June 20 to 30, 2022).

 

About the Guide

Mario Bélisle is the guide for the bilingual tour of Vanier. He holds a Bachelor of Arts, specialization in Theater from the University of Ottawa and he is an educator and program manager at the Museopark Vanier.  An excellent popularizer, Mario knows how to share his passion for our history and our culture like no one else.

 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/359210206397