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
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 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 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
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
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
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
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
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

Sector Table: Language

OLIP partners at the Language Sector Table address challenges related to training in both official languages and develop timely and specialized interpretation services to support access to critical human services. The work of this Sector Table is responsive to Ottawa’s status as a bilingual city where training in both official languages is essential. Coordination and a referral system among current service providers are key aspects of improved local language services delivery. At the same time, harmonizing federal and provincial language programming for greater complementarity is a key premise of success.

  1. OLIP Partners at the Language Sector Table

Priority #1:  To further improve the planning, deployment and quality of federal and provincial language courses so they are complementary and better matched to the needs of Francophone and Anglophone immigrants.

Priority #2:  To improve newcomer access to specialized language training that supports broader community and learner needs.

Priority #3:  To improve, raise awareness of and extend access to interpretation services for a broad range of legal, justice, health and social related services.

Priority #4:  To promote special language programming for populations at risk of exclusion and ensure language instructors are sensitive to the complex challenges faced by this category of learners.

Priority #5:  To strengthen the capacity of Ottawa language training providers to advocate for improvements in language training, including additional training options, such as on-the-job language training.

OLIP Partners at the Language Sector Table

Name Organizational Affiliation
Mercy Lawluvi Executive Director, Immigrant Women Services Organization,  Co-chair, OLIP Language Sector Table
 Marianne Kayed Manager, Continuing Education, Ottawa Catholic School Board, Co-chair, OLIP Language Sector Table
Anne Senior Specialist in Language Tool Development, Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks (CCLB)
Dorra Gdoura Manager, Programs and Delivery, La Cité Collegiale
Giselle Leduc English Language Tutoring for the Ottawa Community (ELTOC)
Shirley Graham Manager of ESL/LINC, Continuing Education, Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB)
Catherine Rousseau Administratrice des programmes de langues, École des adultes Le Carrefour, Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario
Laurie Fraser Manager, Language Instruction for Newcomers (LINC), Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO)
Benjamin Chacon Executive Director, Cultural Interpretation Services for our Community (CISOC)
Edwige Affaa Agente de projet, Le Réseau de Soutien à l’immigration Francophone, Eastern Ontario region
 Vanna Prim  Manager of LINC, OCISO