On June 27, 2024, Engineers Canada staff members picked up shovels, tools, paintbrushes, and garden shears and set to work at one of Ottawa Community Housing’s (OCH) apartment buildings in Engineers Canada’s annual volunteer day.
"Our Senior Leadership Team feels strongly that it’s important that as an organization, we give back to our community," said Gerard McDonald, Engineers Canada CEO. "This is the second year in a row that we’ve volunteered with Ottawa Community Housing, and we hope that our contributions have a positive and lasting impact for their residents.”
OCH is the largest provider of community and affordable rentals in Ottawa, and the second largest in Ontario, providing approximately 15,000 homes to about 33,000 tenants, including seniors, families, individuals, and persons with disabilities. These homes are located in various communities throughout Ottawa and house a diverse population with different languages, cultures, and ethnicities.
Engineers Canada’s staff gathered on June 27 at OCH’s apartment building at 125 McLeod St. in downtown Ottawa and divided into teams to accomplish a variety of tasks. This included giving picnic tables and lawn furniture a fresh coat of bright red paint; spreading soil to grade an outdoor common area and lay down fresh sod; building a bench with a privacy lattice and garden boxes; weeding gardens; painting an arbour pergola and sectional bench; and general maintenance and repairs outside the building.
While capital costs, such as roof repairs, elevator maintenance, and simple upkeep of OCH’s buildings take priority, volunteer projects like this one that improved the community yard are things that truly affect the lives of OCH tenants in a positive way, allowing them to feel the pride of place in their community.
The volunteer day also had a great impact on Engineers Canada staff.
“For me, it was an unforgettable experience,” described Alexander Olivas, Researcher, International Institutions, at Engineers Canada. “Witnessing the remarkable talents of my colleagues—each excelling in their unique skills in building, painting, and creating—was truly inspiring. The strong sense of camaraderie we shared, coupled with the opportunity to reconnect and bond during our tasks and lunch breaks, added a special dimension to the experience. Above all, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride knowing that we were contributing to the well-being of our community, especially during these challenging times when housing issues are particularly severe in the city.”
“I enjoyed volunteer day,” said Michaela Ryan, Executive Assistant at Engineers Canada. “It was fun to spend time with colleagues and work together in a completely different capacity outside the office. It was also a good reminder of both the need and the work being done in our community. I was really impressed to learn about everything OCH does, and it was nice to see that we could make a tangible contribution in one day.”
Engineers Canada thanks OCH for helping us organize our staff volunteer day and OCH tenants for their warmth and hospitality in welcoming us to their home.
