A list of institutions you should know about if you are a newcomer

Three years ago, when we just arrived in Ottawa, we were living in a swirl. We were frantically buying furniture, beds, mattresses, and other things to furnish our new home. We also needed warm clothing to deal with the cold climate.

But there were lots of other things to do as well; paperwork and administrative things that my Canadian husband was in charge of. Fortunately, I didn’t have to deal much with these things. I was totally lost in a new city, in the middle of a harsh climate that I didn’t understand. It all felt like a whole other world.

If you are a newcomer and you just landed in Ottawa, you might feel lost in terms of where to start, what to do first and how to do it. So, here is a list of some of the most important institutions you’ll want to contact in order to start building your new life in Canada.

SERVICE CANADA

This is the institution where you need to go to get a Social Insurance Number (SIN). The SIN is like your national identification number. It’s important to get a SIN because you need it to identify yourself to obtain some government programs or to pay your taxes. You can apply for a SIN online or by mail.

Phone: 1-866-274-6627

https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/corporate/portfolio/service-canada.html

Beacon Hill Shopping Centre
2339 Ogilvie Road
Ottawa, Ontario

885 Meadowlands Drive East, Suite 105 (May also be accessed via 1430 Prince of Wales Drive)
Ottawa, Ontario

SERVICE ONTARIO

This is the institution where you go to get your Ontario Health Insurance Plan coverage. OHIP covers the health services you might need such as visits to your family doctor, visits to a walk-in clinic, visits to an emergency room, or tests and even surgeries.

Phone: Toll-free: 1-866-532-3161

https://www.ontario.ca/page/health-care-ontario

You’ll probably also need to go to Service Ontario when applying for a driver’s license.

Tel: 416-235-2999

Toll-free: 1-800-387-3445

https://www.ontario.ca/page/driving-and-roads

SCHOOL BOARDS

When you come to Ottawa you should contact one of the four school boards where you’re going to enroll your child. Each board has a family welcome center, which will conduct an English and Math assessment of your child before they are assigned a school.

Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB). This board groups the English public schools and is the largest in the city.

Address: 133 Greenbank Road, Ottawa, Ontario K2H6L3

Phone: 613-721-1820

https://ocdsb.ca/

Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB). This board groups the English Catholic schools.

Address: 570 West Hunt Club Road

Phone: 613-224-2222

Home – OCSB

Conseil des Ecoles Catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE). This board groups the French Catholic schools.

Address: 4000, Rue Labelle,
Ottawa K1J 1A1

Phone: 1 888 230-5131

https://www.ecolecatholique.ca/

Conseil des Ecoles Publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario (CEPEO). This board groups the French public schools.

Address: 2445 Boul. St-Laurent
Ottawa, ON K1G 6C3

Phone: 613-742-8960

https://cepeo.on.ca/

YMCA

The YMCA offers immigrant services such as counseling, information about training, apprenticeships, and job postings. It also offers free workshops, aimed at helping newcomers find a job.

150 Isabella Street, Suite 201
Ottawa, ON  K2P 1B7  
613-788-5001 
eac.central@ymacywca.ca

LARC

The Language Assessment and Referral Centre (LARC) is the institution that provides English and French assessments to immigrants when they need to prove their level of knowledge or proficiency in one of those languages. The assessments are based on the Canadian Language Benchmarks.

308-240 Catherine Street
Ottawa, ON  K2P 2G8
613-238-5462
larc.celo@ymcaywca.ca

WORLD SKILLS

World Skills Employment Centre is a non-profit organization that helps newcomers and immigrants increase their skills and their chances of finding a job through counseling, job search training, workshops, and language training.

300-219 Argyle Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 2H4

Phone: (613) 233-0453

World Skills Employment Centre

OCISO

The Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization is a non-profit organization that provides immigrant services to newcomers including help in settlement, counseling and assistance in finding a job, and clinical counseling in case of stress or anxiety. It also offers English instruction for newcomers who need it.

959 Wellington Street West
Ottawa ON K1Y 2X5 Canada
Tel: (613)725-0202
https://ociso.org/

CATHOLIC CENTER FOR IMMIGRANTS

The CCI Ottawa provides community services for immigrants, refugees, and newcomers.

219 Argyle Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 2H4

Phone: 613-232-9634

http://cciottawa.ca/

IMMIGRANT WOMEN SERVICES OTTAWA

The IWSO helps immigrant women to settle, to find a job, to integrate into Canadian society, and to fulfill their personal goals.

219 Argyle Avenue, Suite 400
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 2H4

Phone: Tel: 613-729-3145

Home

Other settlement services in Ottawa

• Jewish Family Services of Ottawa-Carleton: http://www.jfsottawa.com
• Lebanese and Arab Social Services Agency of Ottawa: http://www.lassa.ca
• Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre: http://www.occsc.org

If you know some other institutions that helped you in adjusting to your new life in Ottawa, feel free to let us know in the comments. Take care.

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