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 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 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
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 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
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
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
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

Keynote Speech by Corinne Prince St. Amand

August 21, 2015

corinneThe forum keynote presentation was delivered by Corinne Prince St. Amand, Director General of the Integration-Foreign Credentials Referral Office, Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Corinne’s presentation titled: “Trends and Policies Affecting Ottawa’s Progress” provided an overview of immigration trends and the global drivers that generate the high number of new immigrants coming to Canada every year. She pointed out several factors that will continue to influence migration to Canada or emerge as trends including: the state of the European economy; world conflicts; and impacts of environmental changes.

Corinne also spoke about recent changes in immigration policy and systems, particularly the Express Entry System, “a hybrid system introduced in 2008, based on a human capital approach, but with intake controls and occupational filters.” Corrine explained that the Express System is in its early stages of implementation; and that the involvement of employers and Provinces/Territories is helping to improve the labour market responsiveness of the economic selection system.

Forum participants were also informed of other immigration policy reforms, including changes to the Caregiver Program, and improvements to the Provincial Nominee Program to address program integrity issues and responsiveness to labour market needs.

Click here to view Corinne Prince St. Amand’s presentation

Click here to read the presentation delivered by Corinne Prince St. Amand, the keynote speaker of the 3rd Ottawa Immigration Forum