Thursday 25 June 2026
WOW: OCISO joins Welcoming Week with multicultural celebration
by Asantewa Nkuah, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
People of all ages gathered in Heatherington Albion Park on a sunny Saturday afternoon for Multicultural Day, hosted by Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization (OCISO).
As a settlement organization, OCISO’s mission is to empower immigrants and refugees to become fully engaged members of Canadian society. This event provided an opportunity for people from different backgrounds to connect, share their cultures, and foster a greater sense of belonging in our community.
OCISO’s Multicultural Day is part of Welcoming Ottawa Week (WOW), a city-wide celebration of diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Through a multicultural fashion show, music, interactive activities, and community engagement, the event brought together newcomers, long-time residents, families, and community partners to celebrate the many cultures that make Ottawa home.
OCISO banner.
After a land acknowledgement and warm welcome, interactive activities opened up for the attendees. I received an event passport, as well as some refreshments: my choice of juice or water and packages of savory and sweet treats from various corners of the world.
I started with drawing a portrait of myself. There were also colouring pages for the children. The “Threads of the World” activity encouraged guests to mark where they’re from on a map. After putting a pin on Ghana, I had fun going through various stickers and seeing what other countries had been labelled. Not to brag, but I also aced the trivia game available.
“Draw Yourself” invited guests to create self-portraits.
Threads of the World.
Though there was a brief period of heavy rain, this did not stop anyone. The warmth and enthusiasm of everyone attending helped. I met Mumtaz, a woman who has been doing henna for 14 years. Many were eager to line up and get their hands decorated, including me. I asked her about her process, and she explained to me that she follows the hand of the person she’s working on. For me, she did a lovely bird, one of my favourite animals. Mumtaz can be reached at [email protected].
Professional henna artist Mumtaz at work.
Lovely henna art by Mumtaz. Made with fresh organic henna paste.
Once the rain subsided it was time for the Fashion Show. Cultural costumes from Guinea, China, Cameroon, Eritrea, Ukraine, and Argentina were showcased. To cheers and music, each participant shared a bit about themselves, then strutted their stuff. One guest even did a cartwheel.
Guests introducing themselves during Multicultural Fashion Showcase.
Guests introducing themselves during Multicultural Fashion Showcase.
Guests walking to the cheers of the crowd.
Multicultural Fashion at OCISO Multicultural Day
After that, it was time for Mic Grab, an interactive game where the music stops and someone has to jump in and finish the song from memory. Thank you to everyone who lent their voices! Live singing is never easy, but everyone did beautifully. We also had the privilege of enjoying a mother-daughter performance and some lovely Arabic music during multilanguage Karaoke. I wasn’t brave enough to try, but I certainly enjoyed watching.
Working together for Mic Grab.
Mother-Daughter Karaoke.
The day ended with a Prize Draw. The event passport each guest received was their entry ticket. With each interactive activity we participated in, a stamp was received. Only three stamps were needed, but I ended up enjoying everything I could. The children who won the draw were thrilled, and I overall had a blast. Thank you to OCISO and to everyone who was happy to pose for pictures when I approached them.