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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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

WOW 2022: Call for Events Is Now Open

May 9, 2022

Ottawa Local Immigration partnership (OLIP) cordially invites you to contribute an event to the 2022 Welcoming Ottawa Week (WOW) that will be held on June 20 – 30.

WOW is an annual series of dialogues, cultural and celebratory events, sports activities, documentary screenings, and other fun events, designed to convey the genuine welcome and hospitality of Ottawa residents to newcomers, while providing opportunities for quality interactions between newcomers and long-time residents. This year’s WOW will also recognize the impact of the pandemic on newcomers and racialized residents.

WOW events are required to include immigrants and refugees, discuss topics related to newcomer settlement and integration, or celebration of diversity. The events should also take place during the WOW 2022 timeframe (June 20th – 30th).

WOW events can be any of the following categories:

  • Guided Tours: walking tours, bike/ bus tours, museum tours etc.
  • Business & Entrepreneurship: employer meet & greet, job search networking etc.
  • Sports Activities & Tournaments: soccer, cricket, Tai Chi, Yoga, etc.
  • Food Related Events: Cooking classes, food tasting, restaurant tours etc.
  • Design & Creativity: Fashion show, events showcasing creative and innovative ideas that meet community needs.
  • Culture Activities: arts/photo exhibits, activities showcasing artistic and intellectual contribution of immigrants.
  • Poetry, Music & Story Telling: Poetry and comedy nights, concerts, and other artistic activity to illustrate diverse rich cultures in your community.
  • Learning Events: Book launch, Open house, academic seminars on topics related to diversity and welcoming communities.
  • Civic Engagements: citizenship ceremonies, town hall meeting, meet & greet activity with a local elected official.
  • Documentary/ Film Screening: documentary screening followed by a panel discussion on topics adversely affecting marginalized communities such as the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health, racism, housing, etc.

Still need ideas, consult our comprehensive list of suggested WOW event categories.

YOUR ACTION:

  • Host an event that showcases your involvement with immigrants and refugees, celebrates newcomers’ contributions or creates new bonds among neighbours. Do not delay; register your WOW 2022 event online before June 5, 2022.
  • Distribute the WOW Call for Events Flyer to partners or individuals who you think may be interested in hosting a WOW event.

If you have questions or ideas, please contact Nyamulola Kambanji at nyamulola@olip-plio.ca