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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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 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

OLIP’s Contribution to the City’s Community Safety & Well-being Plan

March 24, 2021

Moving forward towards a Community Safety & Well-being Plan required under the Province’s 2018 Safer Ontario Act, the City of Ottawa consulted its residents on the best ways for people, organizations and government to work together to address well-being and safety issues in our communities.

As part of the Consultation process, OLIP presented the challenges and barriers faced by immigrant, newcomer and racialized populations, along with some recommendations where our community and the City can collaboratively take action to tackle issues identified in the 6 priority areas: 1) discrimination, marginalization and racism; 2) financial security and poverty reduction; 3) gender-based violence and violence against women; 4) housing; 5) integrated and simpler systems and 6) mental well-being.

Accessible, culturally appropriate policies and programs that are congruent with the realities and needs of immigrant and racialized populations are essential to address compounding challenges in low-income neighborhoods, such as over-policing, high school dropout, poor health, limited access to recreation and limited opportunities for economic mobility.

Considering that immigrants make up almost a quarter of the City’s population, while a Conference Board of Canada study estimated that immigration will account for more than 65 per cent of Ottawa-Gatineau’s population growth by 2036, it is essential that we plan ahead for the equitable integration of our newcomers, while addressing the unresolved challenges faced by those who have been here longer.

The City of Ottawa will summarize the feedback received in this second phase of consultation with a complete “What we heard” report that will be available in spring 2021.