Mayor Jim Watson and Gloucester-Southgate Ward Councillor Diane Deans presented the Mayor’s City Builder Award to Rasha Yacob at City Council on July 10, 2019, in recognition of her efforts to make her community welcoming and safe.

The Ottawa Local Immigration Partnership (OLIP) cordially invites you to contribute an event to the 2019 Welcoming Ottawa Week (WOW).

When Marwan Abdalla began planning the first Palestinian Festival in Ottawa, there was one thing he was certain of, “We are having it at City Hall!” Fortunately, the city was receptive and the festival will be taking place in Marion Dewar Park, adjacent to City Hall, from August 29th to 31st. Mayor Jim Watson will even be opening the event with an inaugural speech.

Is Ottawa a truly welcoming city?” This question is top-of-mind in the run up to Welcoming Ottawa Week (WOW) 2014.

Ottawa does a fairly good job – perhaps, as good a job as most other Canadian cities – but, clearly, more can be done. Evidence suggests Canada’s capital city is not attracting as many immigrants as other Canadian cities.

The Kanata Muslim Association (KMA) presented a cheque for $2500 to City Councillor Marianne Wilkinson to support the construction of the Richcraft Recreation Complex. Located in Kanata North, near the Terry Fox Drive and March Road Intersection, the Richcraft Recreation Complex will be an energy efficient, high quality, fitness, recreation and aquatic facility. The City of Ottawa will name the kitchen in the complex after KMA.

Good news for residents of rental housing in Ottawa. Under a new programme by the City, negligent landlords could receive fines of up to $100,000 for failing to ensure the safety and well-being of their tenants.

The project launched on March 1, with the City of Ottawa making multi-residential inspections in the buildings themselves, and in parking lots and grounds. At a March 5 meeting of ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), Derek Petch, a City of Ottawa by-law officer said he and his team had begun inspecting more than 55 buildings in the Herongate area and would be visit other wards; noting all repair issues whether reported or not by the tenants, and issuing work orders for the landlords of those respective buildings.

Founder and former longtime president of the Ottawa Muslim Women's Organization, Nazira Tareen, is among 15 residents who will be inducted into the new Order of Ottawa during a formal ceremony at City Hall on Nov. 22.