Catholic Centre for Immigrants – Ottawa

Helping all refugees and immigrants realize their full potential in Canada

Matching Program creates deep bonds

The determination Marwan shows in his efforts to adapt to Canadian life is something to behold. The 39-year-old Iraqi man has reason. His past suffering has led him to a deep sense of gratitude to Canada, and he wants to integrate into the culture of his adopted...

Dealing with a wave of refugees

Since July 1, 2017, more than 7,000 migrants have walked over the border from the US into Quebec in order to claim refugee status in Canada. The numbers crossing into Quebec jumped this summer. In July alone, the RCMP intercepted nearly 3,000 asylum...

Syrian family always giving thanks

Many of us will spend the Thanksgiving holiday with our family and loved ones. We’ll take a moment to appreciate the lives we enjoy and the everyday things we sometimes take for granted. For the Al Saraheen family, every day for the last year has felt like...

Circles help seniors connect

There’s an old saying that growing old is not for the meek. One of the many challenges some seniors will face as they grow older is isolation. For seniors who are immigrants and don’t speak English very well, the isolation can be even more profound. Last year, the...

A successful transition for Inga

After six years of living in Canada, Inga Bohnekamp is sounding more and more like a Canadian. “The winters are so long and the summers here are so humid!” Inga started her Canadian adventure when she studied psychology as an exchange student in 2003–2004...

Tennis a big hit for girls program

When Claudine Nduwimama, Facilitator of Catholic Centre for Immigrants’ Girls on the Go, surveyed the program’s 20 participants to find out what sports they wanted to try out, tennis was near the top of the list. So on a sunny mid-August afternoon, the...

SYRIAN REFUGEES