Welcoming Ottawa Ambassadors

Established in 2014, the annual Welcoming Ottawa Ambassadors Award recognizes the importance of welcoming attitudes towards newcomers and the critical role social connections plays in newcomers’ settlement and integration. Every year, the OLIP Secretariat calls on immigrants living in Ottawa to nominate individuals that made a difference in their new lives in Ottawa. 

A committee comprised of diverse Ottawans reviews the nominations and selects five from the many great nominations, using selection criteria based on the stories of friendships and support told by immigrants in previous years’ nominations. The annual Welcoming Ottawa Ambassadors are announced by the Mayor of Ottawa, during Mayor’s annual breakfast event to launch the Welcoming Ottawa Week.