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
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
I was happy to see integration to Algonquin territory and indigenous culture related programming in 2014 WOW. Please continue to involve local Aboriginal organisations and…

Linda Manning
WOW 2014 participant, Senior Fellow, University of Ottawa
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
All the WOW events that I went to were great – WOW does give a sense of a community trying to improve its attraction and retention!

Caroline Andrew
Professor, University of Ottawa
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 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 Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre is so happy to have joined the OLIP Health and Wellbeing Sector Table. It is clear that OLIP cares about immigrants and refugees and…

Wendy Tang, Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre
OLIP helps to unite and share scarce resources for greater impact by working together in the field of student education.

Walter Piovesan
Associate Director of Education, Ottawa Carleton District School Board

Participants and Their Feedback

December 30, 2021

385 individuals joined the Virtual 6th Biennial Ottawa Immigration Forum over two half days on November 22 and 23, 2021. Soon after the Forum, we sent a forum evaluation survey to attendees to ask for their feedback on how well we did and solicit suggestions for improvements.  We received 41 responses (11% response rate).  Respondents indicated high levels of satisfaction with the Forum.  Below are the highlights of their feedback:

When asked about their experiences with different aspects of the Forum, participants reported high levels of satisfaction.

  • 95% said they were satisfied with the Forum overall
  • 98% indicated satisfaction with Forum content and themes
  • 98% reported satisfaction with Forum communications (emails, webpage, etc)
  • 98% had a good experience with the Zoom Webinar Platform

 

When asked about their levels of satisfaction with specific Forum sessions, participants reported the following:

 

Session Satisfaction rate
Keynote by Yasir Naqvi 93%
Dr. Etches Reflection on Learning from the Pandemic & Ideas for the Way Forward 97%
Panel on Igniting Ottawa’s Potential to Achieve Equitable Outcomes 97%
Panel on Inclusive & Equitable Municipalities 90%
Immigrant Workers in Post Pandemic Economic Recovery 93%

 

In response to the question “What did you value most about the 6th Biennial Ottawa Immigration Forum, participants answers included the following:

  • Excellent speakers. Great examples of equity work from other jurisdictions.
  • The Forum provided opportunity to connect/reconnect with others on important equity issues.
  • Very well organized; effective use of time (several panel sessions over two half days)
  • Le Forum offrait vraiment la possibilité des échanges très constructifs
  • I appreciated the inclusive and courageous conversations that are not afraid of tackling difficult questions.
  • I valued hearing from a range of different speakers from various areas and sectors on the issue of equity.
  • I liked the Forum content, the storytelling by local artists, the discussion on data and equity and all the information covered in the panel sessions were impressive.
  • I enjoyed the exposure to initiatives and strategies being pursued in other municipalities.
  • The Q&A sessions and the resulting exchange and dialogues are definitely the richest part of these kinds of conferences. MP Naqvi and Dr. Etches get it, which is so refreshing to see in people of their stature.
  • Keep up the great work! We want more of the same from OLIP!

 

In response to the question “What improvements would you suggest for future Ottawa Immigration Forums”, participants said:

  • Hold the Forum in n person of course and create opportunities for networking and connection among the Forum participants.
  • Add interpretation for non-English or non-French participants.
  • Have breakout rooms for discussion, sharing, brainstorming
  • Include practical skill development for attendees, including case examples of data collection, community engagement, and hiring practices.
  • I really found the total experience very valuable. I would recommend you reach out to broader audience.
  • I would love to see the next Forum in in-person meeting format, depending on COVID.
  • Maybe have fewer speakers and go in more in-depth discussion about the topics.
  • Provide a package of info upon registration to allow participants to be informed prior to coming to the forum. This will allow people to think about questions to ask