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
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
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
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 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
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 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
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 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 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

2018 Welcoming Ottawa Ambassadors

Introduced as part of Welcoming Ottawa Week in 2014, 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.

These are the stories of the 2018 Welcoming Ottawa Ambassador recipients:

Robert Sampson – The “Bobby Effect”

Cheralyn Post – Finding a family away from home

Farhad Derakhshan – Helping a newcomer from A to Z

Ama Ouattara – Everyone should find an “Ama”

Jean Roberth Souza – The power of social media to connect newcomers

Justine Nkurunziza – Connecting Burundian Newcomers through Whats App

Kelly McGahey – Welcoming Workplaces 

Leocadie Kabogoye – Finding the right person to guide you on the long journey towards integration

Hanan Abu-Laban – An angel of welcome

Mohamed Jamal Alsharif – Bringing the beauty and strength of Canadian multiculturalism to newcomers

Clare Glassco – The kindness and generosity of strangers