Sunday 6 September 2026
Liberian Community Celebrates Annual Back-to-School Event in New Partnership with Ottawa Police
by Kelvin Nyanquoi Suah, President Liberian Association of Ottawa
The Liberian Community gathered at Millennium Park on September 6 for a day of activities, connection and a first-time partnership with the Ottawa Police Service.
Children, families and community members at LAO’s annual Back-to-School event at Millennium Park.
OTTAWA – Families from across the Liberian community in the National Capital Region gathered at Millennium Park on September 6 for the Liberian Association of Ottawa’s (LAO) annual Back-to-School event, bringing children, parents and community members together for a day of games, food and other educational and recreational activities ahead of the new school year.
Held ahead of each new school year, the annual event is one of LAO’s community initiatives focused on children and families. This year’s event brought families together for an afternoon of activities, encouragement and community support, helping young people start the school year feeling encouraged, supported and connected to their community.
A community-building tradition
Founded in 1991, the Liberian Association of Ottawa is Canada’s oldest Liberian diaspora organization. Established by Liberians already living in Canada and others who sought refuge here in the early 1990s during Liberia’s civil war, LAO supports the social, economic and cultural well-being of Liberians, Canadians of Liberian descent and friends of Liberia in the National Capital Region.
Over the years, LAO has worked to preserve Liberian culture, support newcomers and families, encourage civic participation, and strengthen community connections. Its current work includes partnerships with the City of Ottawa and other local organizations to support youth, women, seniors and newcomers through community-building activities and programs.
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The annual Back-to-School event is part of that broader work. This year, it took on added significance through LAO’s first partnership with the Ottawa Police Service.
OPS supported the event with meals and souvenirs for children and families, while officers spent a significant part of the day with the community, playing games with children and parents, taking photos and engaging members in conversations on various topics.
For LAO, the partnership was particularly meaningful in the context of community-police relations. The event offered a different kind of setting for OPS and community members to connect through children, families and shared community activities.
LAO President Kelvin Nyanquoi Suah said the partnership was about more than the event itself.
“For us, this was about more than supporting a children’s event. Many people in our community come to Canada with perspectives shaped by their experiences with police in their countries of origin, while others form their views through interactions with police here in Canada. Creating opportunities for our children and families to interact with police officers in a relaxed and informal environment helps build familiarity, trust and stronger relationships. We believe policing in our city is most effective when communities and police see each other as partners in addressing the issues that affect us, rather than as being on opposite sides.”
From the OPS perspective, the partnership provided an opportunity to engage directly with families and strengthen connections with the community.
Superintendent Dave Zackrias, Training, Equity and Development Directorate, Ottawa Police Service, said authentic community engagement, particularly with youth, must be foundational to policing.
“Inclusivity is essential to community safety and security because everyone should feel seen, respected, valued and that they belong,” Supt. Zackrias said. “When we build genuine relationships with young people and families, we strengthen public trust, confidence and police legitimacy.”
He added that community engagement goes beyond individual events and is central to building trust and lasting relationships with the communities police serve.
“Community engagement is more than an event. it is how we earn trust, strengthen legitimacy and build safer, more inclusive communities, one relationship at a time,” Supt. Zackrias said.
Mr. Suah further emphasized to Black Ottawa Scene the importance of creating opportunities for young people of Liberian heritage, many of whom were born in Canada, to stay connected to their community and culture. Events like LAO’s Back-to-School event contribute to their development while helping them build a strong sense of identity, belonging and connection within the wider Ottawa community.
More broadly, the Back-to-School initiative reflects LAO’s commitment to supporting families and creating opportunities for young people to build confidence, relationships and a strong community foundation. As another school year begins, LAO hopes the event will remind young people that their success is supported not only by their families, but by a wider community committed to helping them learn, grow and reach their full potential.