About Us

We are moving ahead into a new phase of community recovery, following numerous events that have had a dramatic effect on our city. Our community has been fragmented and many residents have felt isolated and anxious. A new time is upon us as we reflect on the losses we have lived through and the new hope we seek for a refreshed and restored city. Reconnecting with family, friends and community is energizing our desire for social connection. We seek to replace fear with empathy and compassion. We know that the time approaches to bring Ottawa residents together to:

• Remember and honour those we have lost.
• Thank those who helped us get through a hard time.
• Reflect on what we have learned during this pandemic.
• Imagine a hopeful future.

We invite our city to plan event(s) from June 11 to 26, 2022. These events will affirm our shared intent to support those who have faced loss and sadness and to encourage all the people of Ottawa to celebrate a hopeful future. This planning began almost a year ago, when we convened meetings with community leaders to explore the idea of bringing the community together again. The enthusiastic support was overwhelming.

With Compassionate Ottawa, the City of Ottawa, and numerous community partners working together, we are proud to demonstrate what it means to be a city built around collaboration and inclusion.

Along the way, we have been guided by a steering committee representing a variety of sectors in Ottawa. Their names and affiliations are below, and we cannot thank them enough for their time, guidance and enthusiasm:

Together Ottawa Ensemble is offered by Compassionate Ottawa, a citizen-led movement that works to change the way we think about living well, dying, death and grief and to strengthen the capacity of people to care for each other in times of serious illness and loss. Compassionate Ottawa is part of a global movement to support communities to become more compassionate. Learn more about Compassionate Ottawa here.