Making Connections
Connecting With People, Places, and Support
Settlement comes with a long to-do list. Finding housing, navigating services, enrolling in school, searching for work, and learning how things work in a new country. But beyond the paperwork and appointments, it’s just as important to feel connected to your new community. Building relationships, finding places where you belong, and accessing supports after your initial settlement can make a big difference in how confident and grounded you feel in Ottawa.
Community Connections
Community Connections helps you settle into everyday life in Ottawa by introducing you to Canadian volunteers, other newcomers, and fun opportunities to explore the city. From social events to outings across Ottawa, this program helps you build friendships, learn about local culture, and feel truly at home.
Meet
Meet Canadian volunteers and other newcomers who can help you learn about life in Ottawa and build your social network.
Join
Join group activities, conversation circles, and community gatherings where you can connect with people in a welcoming environment.
Explore
Explore Ottawa through social outings to museums, parks, farms, sugar bushes, and other points of interest. Past activities have included skating on the Rideau Canal, visiting local attractions, and enjoying seasonal events.
CCI Ottawa’s Youth Program
CCI Ottawa’s Youth Program assists newcomer children, adolescents, and young adults as they transition to life in Canada. The program provides secure and inclusive environments designed to foster personal development, encourage social engagement, and promote a sense of belonging within their new community.
- Free social and recreational activities
- School-year academic support
- Help expanding social networks
- Exploration of post-secondary options
- Résumé and job search support
- English or French language practice
This program also connects youth to community centres, Job Connect programs, volunteer opportunities, and other local resources to help them grow, participate, and feel at home in Ottawa.
The Health Employment Network
The Health Employment Network is a comprehensive online employment preparation program for internationally trained health professionals that connects with employers and community partners.
The program provides focused training to help participants transition their skills and knowledge into healthcare-related roles in Ontario. There is no cost for participating in the Health Employment Network Program. Our team also works with employers and community partners to connect them to qualified candidates for a variety of healthcare-related positions. Health Employment Network is funded by the Government of Ontario, and spearheaded by CCI Ottawa and World Skills.
Refugee Sponsorship Support
- Please note there is a large waitlist for this program.
We operate two sponsorship agreements: the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Ottawa’s sponsorship agreement, which mostly serves local parishes, and a second sponsorship agreement for CCI itself, which serves groups of any affiliation. CCI also offers support for Group of 5 (G5) applications. CCI provides all sponsors with assistance with applications and, as a settlement agency, it offers connection to pre-arrival information on the settlement process and post-arrival counselling, orientation and many other services.