Refugee 613 Director Louisa Taylor inducted into the Order of Ottawa

The last 2 months have been some of the most exciting and busy moments in our organization’s history. We planned and promoted a rally to support newcomers in Ottawa, met with people supporting refugees nationwide at the Canadian Council for Refugees consultation and announced our upcoming independence as a non-profit organization. 

But in our rush to support our community and take the next big step in our organization’s history, we skipped something special. We’d finally like to take a moment to pause and celebrate. 

On Wednesday, Nov 14th, Refugee 613 Director and co-founder Louisa Taylor was inducted into the Order of Ottawa 🎉! We are incredibly proud of Louisa and grateful to our community for believing in the welcoming spirit she has championed in her more than 9 years as our leader. 

The Order of Ottawa, as described by the City of Ottawa, “recognizes exceptional citizens who have achieved the highest level of excellence and achievement in many fields of endeavour, have brought honour and prestige to themselves and made significant contributions to the community that benefit the citizens of Ottawa.”

Louisa founded Refugee 613 with a coalition of community partners, including settlement service providers, local government and community groups back in 2015. Sparked by the public response to the mass displacement of Syrians at the time, everyone came together to collaborate on doing more to meet the needs of all refugees and the people supporting them in our city. 

Joined by the many talented staff members, volunteers and partners working with Refugee 613 over the years, our organization has continued to support the arrival and integration of more refugees, whether they are from Afghanistan, Congo, Burundi, Ukraine and other parts of the world. We have grown to become Canada’s leader in migration communications, developing new approaches to getting newcomers the information they need to thrive in Canada. 

Since 2015, Louisa has dedicated herself to supporting refugees and others in Ottawa and beyond. As our organization’s director, she continues to lead efforts in Ottawa to welcome all newcomers and advocate for the needs of our city’s newest community members. We are grateful to call her our leader, co-worker and friend. 

To the Ottawa community: thank you for always showing up and showing your support for a welcoming city. We’re excited to continue creating an inclusive, compassionate Ottawa with you for years to come. 

Lots of love, 

The Refugee 613 Team