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 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
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 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 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’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
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
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
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
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

Sector Table: Socio-civic Integration

The Socio-civic Integration Sector Table’s current initiatives stem from the combined priorities of settlement and integration capacity development strategies outlined in the Ottawa Immigration Strategy. Specific initiatives focus on organizational learning to build service providers’ capacity to serve immigrants and foster immigrant –friendly policies and practices, empowering immigrants for civic and political engagement, specifically youth, and capitalizing on media’s role to promote welcoming communities, inclusion and integration of minorities.Underlying to this work is knowledge generation, leadership and information infrastructure development, and public education to promote two-way integration and connectivity between newcomers and the host Canadian population.

  1. OLIP Partners Present at The Social and Civic Integration Sector Table

Priority #1:  To create bridging opportunities and multiple pathways for new immigrants and established residents to connect socially, culturally, and intellectually.

Priority #2:  To expand the capacity and appetite within mainstream organizations for equity and inclusion of immigrants.

Priority #3:  To strengthen the ability of immigrants and racialized communities to participate in civil society and institutions (voting, strengthened and common voice on concerns).

Priority #4:  To promote and strengthen partnerships between settlement service provider organizations (SPOs) and institutions in all sectors addressed by OLIP.

Priority #5:  To expand the capacities of settlement counsellors to provide information, referral, and orientation to newcomers on multiple domains.

OLIP Partners Present at The Social and Civic Integration Sector Table

Name

Organizational Affiliation
St. Phard Desir Executive Director, Economic and Social Council of Ottawa Carleton,  Co-Chair, OLIP Sector Table Capacity Building for Settlement and Integration
Myriam Mekni Executive Director, Catholic Immigration Centre of Ottawa
Fred Awada Executive Director, Lebanese Arab Social Services Agency of Ottawa
Andrea Gardener Executive Director, Jewish Family Services
Abdirizak Karod Executive Director, Somali Centre for Family Services
Tanya Mendes-Gagnon Senior Director, Newcomer Services, YMCA-YWCA of the National Capital Region
Aloyz Siraba Henda Conseil Économique et Social d’Ottawa-Carleton
Nancy Burgoyne Cultural Development Manager, Cultural Initiatives and Development, City of Ottawa
Natali Zuniga Cultural and Heritage Services, Cultural Initiatives and Development, City of Ottawa
Suzanne Doerge Director, City for All Women Initiative (CAWI)
Sharon Kan Executive Director, Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre
Debbie Hoffman Aid Society of Ottawa
Jane Fjeld Associate Director, Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa
Simone Thibault Executive Director, Centretown Community Health Centre
Ken Mackenzie Program Manager, Eastern Ottawa Resource Centre
Dawn Lyons Interim Community Health Program Director, Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre
Jackie Ndatuje Rwandan Seniors Group
Azhar Ali Khan Muslim Coordinating Council
Asso Faraj Secretary, Making Ottawa Safe Together (MOST)
Brian Gilligan Executive Director, Community Development, Ottawa Community Housing (OCH)
Detective Neil Roy Ottawa Police Service
Medin Admasu Program Manager, Regional, Ontario Trillium Foundation
Cindy Hanks Program Advisor, Modernization and Coordination, Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Mohamed Dalmar Citizen, Retired Manager, Settlement Services, Catholic Immigration Centre
Brigitte Duguay Langlais Coordinator, Le Réseau de soutien à l’immigration Francophone de l’est de l’Ontario
Maria Teresa Garcia Manager of Multicultural Liaison Officers, OCISO
Yemane Abede Manager of Settlement, OCISO