2023 Welcoming Ottawa Ambassadors
WOW Ambassador: Amy (Lihua) Yan
Nominator: Feten Saidi
Helping to Build a Better Future for Newcomer Children and their Families
Feten immigrated to Canada with her two teenaged children at the height of the pandemic in July 2021, and she felt culture shock and great stress. “When we arrived, everything was closed.”
WOW Ambassador: Don Cullen and Marie-Thérèse O'Sullivan
Nominator: Tamim Ansar
Sharing Love, Joy and Hope with Newcomers
Most people spend their golden years taking up hobbies. But one Ottawa couple in their 70s chooses to spend their free time supporting newcomers, like Tamim Ansar’s family.
WOW Ambassador: Bruce Mayo and Sandra West
Nominator: Tetiana Piatkovska
Caring Ottawa Family Provides Refuge from the War in Ukraine
Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Tetiana Piatkovska, 25, was forced to make a life-changing decision. Amidst the blackouts and constant sirens, she sat at her parent’s dining table and told them she was leaving for Canada.
WOW Ambassador: Winn Lambert-Meek
Nominator: Panah Khoshmanesh
A Second Mother
“Winn Lambert-Meek’s exceptional contributions and unwavering dedication to fostering a welcoming and inclusive community in Ottawa have undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the lives of numerous newcomers like me,” says Panah Khoshmanesh.
WOW Ambassador: Peggy Blair
Nominator: Andriy Maslov
Ukrainian Family Finds Godmother
Local realtor, Peggy Blair is a take charge kind of person with an incredible network. When she saw the war in Ukraine unfold in February 2022, she felt shocked and powerless, but quickly stepped up and mobilized support among her 12,000 Twitter followers.
