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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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

Faces and Stories of a Welcoming City Photo Exhibit at the Bytown Museum – March 9 to June 3, 2018

January 9, 2018

The Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership is pleased to have its Welcoming Ottawa Ambassadors photo exhibit hosted at the Bytown Museum from March 9 to June 3, 2018.

The Welcoming Ambassador awards recognize Ottawa citizens who go out of their way to support newcomers in their daily efforts to make this city their new home.

Welcoming Ambassadors are individuals who, in interacting with immigrants or refugees, have demonstrated the human qualities of openness, positive curiosity, and the friendships and connections across differences that can be so enriching but difficult to realize in their busy lives.

The photos were taken by Nyamulola Kambanji.

These are the photos and stories of the 2017 Welcoming Ottawa Ambassador recipients in this exhibit:

Mike Brosseau – Mentors through the Matching Program

Jo-Annie Castonguay – Overcoming the Challenge of Finding the First Job 

Bruce Grant – Mentors through the Matching Program

Aaron Kabemba – Student Helps Newcomers from Syria Adapt to Life in Ottawa

Murielle Lemay –  “Teyze” Murielle

Claudine Revert-Gravel – The Importance of Friendship to a Newcomer

Murilo Torres – An Uber Ride and a Promise