Public Invited to Participate in Immigrant Heritage Walking Tours
June 6, 2018Ottawa (June 6, 2018) – As part of Welcoming Ottawa Week, June 18 to 30, 2018, the public is invited to participate in guided walking tours of Chinatown, Little Italy, Lowertown West, Lowertown East and Vanier. These tours explore the important contributions of immigrants to the social, cultural, and economic development and vitality of these unique Ottawa neighbourhoods.
These free tours, organized by the Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership (OLIP), Heritage Ottawa, the City of Ottawa and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, will celebrate Ottawa’s diversity by focusing on the social and built heritage, daily life, architecture, food and the myriad of businesses created by successive cohorts of immigrants in these neighbourhoods.
The tours, offered in English and French, 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.
Sign up today for one of these great tours!
“We encourage Ottawa residents to participate in the immigrant heritage walking tours,” says Hindia Mohamoud, Director, OLIP. “The tours will allow participants to discover first-hand the important contributions that immigrants have made towards building a more vibrant, prosperous capital. We are also delighted to have two new walking tours this year to Vanier, where participants will learn about the rich and interesting heritage of this historically francophone neighbourhood and the contribution of immigration to strengthening the community.” Participants in the Vanier tours will visit a series of fascinating murals that depict the neighbourhood’s diverse history, along with churches, a historic cemetery and much more.