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
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 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
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 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
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
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
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

WOW – what a beginning!

June 24, 2014

By Louisa Taylor, WOW 2014 honorary Co-Char

What a fantastic start to Welcoming Ottawa Week 2014! On Monday we launched at City Hall,with MMayor Watson at the launchayor Jim Watson and more than 100 supporters on hand to celebrate on a beautiful sunny morning. We ate, we networked, we talked about what it means to be a welcoming city, but most of all we honoured our 11 Welcoming Ottawa Week Ambassadors, Ottawa residents who have reached out to build relationships with newcomers and exemplified the welcoming spirit our city needs to thrive.

Then we unveiled the Stories and Faces of a Welcoming City photo exhibit, our way of drawing attention to these ordinary people who help immigrants feel welcome in Ottawa. Dwayne Brown’s gorgeous portraits of immigrants from Colombia, Morocco, Japan and elsewhere posing with their WOW Ambassadors filled the soaring space of Jean Pigott Place with life and vitality.

We’re thrilled that the exhibit will be on display at City Hall throughout this week – so get yourself dWOW2owntown to see the photos and be inspired – if they can do it, you can do it!

Be sure to check out our calendar of events. Today you can choose from so many activities — Art Exhibition by Immigrant Women, Indigenous Walking Tour, “It Worked for Me!” Job Search Success Stories and Networking Event, and a focus group discussion to help develop Ottawa’s Municipal Sport Strategy: “Sport Open to Everyone”, to name a few.

Come join us, and be WOWed!