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 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 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 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
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 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
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 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
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

Background & Reference Material on the Themes Addressed by the Forum

July 13, 2013

What is a Welcoming Community: An Overview (2013) Meyer Burstein, Pathways to Prosperity Partnership
This snapshot review gives a definition of a welcoming community and provides fifteen essential characteristics that are largely acknowledged to be the constituting blocks of a welcoming community. The overview is a brief adaptation from the “Characteristics of a Welcoming Community” (2010) study by the Welcoming Communities Initiative.

Characteristics of a Welcoming Community (2010) Welcoming Communities Initiative
This study provides a review of the current consensus by newcomers, policy makers and academics on the key characteristics of a welcoming community. It draws its findings from an extensive survey of the relevant scholarly literature, government (federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal) and community reports, and case study examples from the public and private sectors. The report acknowledges that there are gaps in supporting evidence of these characteristics, and suggests a strategy for further evaluation of their relevance and impact.

International Students in Ottawa: Facts and Observations (2013) Meyer Burstein, Pathways to Prosperity Partnership
This statistical factsheet provides recent data on international students in Ottawa, drawing longitudinal comparisons with other comparable municipalities in Canada. It also makes observations on the expected trends and opportunities for international student attraction and retention in Ottawa based on Ottawa’s comparative advantages and the current policy and international context.

Best Practices for Integration of International Students in Atlantic Canada: Findings and Recommendations (2013) Sinziana Chira, Chedly Belkhodja
This report examines best practices and gaps in international student settlement and integration linked to existing policies, programs and practices, and the specific issues related to labour market integration. The report focuses on the Atlantic Canadian context, and provides comparisons between urban and rural communities in relation to their capacity of international student retention.

Francophone Immigration in Ottawa: Trends, Issues and Current Action (2013) RSIFEO and OLIP
This one-page report provides a brief overview of the current levels and trends of francophone immigration in Ottawa, and an analysis of some of the factors that may explain the observed trends. The report also highlights the key barriers to francophone immigrants’ integration in Ottawa, and outlines the approach that the Réseau de soutien à l’immigration francophone de l’Est de l’Ontario has taken to address them.