Our Team of Eye Doctors
in Ottawa, ON

Doctor of Optometry (OD)

Dr. Sheldon Butler is originally from Newfoundland. His education and work have taken him from coast to coast. Dr. Butler earned his Bachelor of Science, Honours in Biology with a special interest in human impacts on ecosystems from the University of Ottawa in 1999. He went on to earn his Doctorate of Optometry from the University of Waterloo in 2004.

In his early years of practice, Dr. Butler worked in Vancouver before he established his clinic in Ottawa. At work, Dr. Butler performs comprehensive eye examinations for adults, but he is also passionate about pediatric optometry. Dr. Butler fits a wide variety of lenses, and takes interest in “hard-to-fit” contacts such as multifocal lenses. In his free time, Dr. Butler enjoys playing video games and board games. He also loves to travel to his favourite destination: Disney World! Dr. Butler is fluent in both English and French.

Doctor of Optometry (OD)

Dr. Crystal Chan completed her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Optometry at the University of Waterloo, graduating in 2009. Having worn glasses since the age of seven, she understood at an early age the importance of vision in daily function.

Crystal loves being able to help her patients with their specific eye care needs. Patient education regarding the best treatment options and preventative health is very important to her. In her spare time, she enjoys teaching gentle and beginner hatha yoga. In addition to English, Crystal speaks Cantonese.

Doctor of Optometry (OD)

Dr. Somya Dixit has lived in Ottawa since the age of 11. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Ottawa before attending the University of Waterloo where she completed her Doctor of Optometry degree in 2017. During her schooling she had the opportunity to complete a rotation focused on ocular disease and therapeutics in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and has also travelled to Mexico to take part in outreach programs. In her spare time, Dr. Dixit loves spending time outdoors, playing basketball, and exploring our wonderful city. She looks forward to being your eye-care provider!

Doctor of Optometry (OD)

Dr. Nazli Sammak is from Saskatoon where she attended the University of Saskatchewan for her undergraduate degree in Regional and Urban Planning from which she graduated with high honours. She also has a high honours bachelor’s degree in Heritage Architecture from Tehran University. She obtained her Doctor of Optometry from the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago.

Her externship training was at the Veteran’s Affair hospital in Southern Oregon, the Henderson Vision Centre in Winnipeg and the Imperial Healthcare Hospital in Dubai provided her experience across many specialties including glaucoma, vision rehabilitation and ophthalmology (pre-operative and post-operative).

In her spare time, Nazli enjoys traveling, baking, cooking, and spending time outdoors. She is conversant in Persian and Arabic. She is very excited to be part of Rideau Optometric and is proud to work with such a fantastic team of practitioners.

Doctor of Optometry (OD)

Dr. Sammak was born and raised in Iran. After receiving her Master of Handicraft in Tehran with high honor she moved to Canada to pursue higher education. Following her studies in the filed of biology at the University of Saskatchewan, she moved to Chicago and received her Doctor of Optometry from Illinois College of Optometry in 2021.

During her studies, Dr. Sammak acquired valuable experiences in many specialized clinics such as Illinois eye institute, Tomah VA hospital in USA where she worked extensively with geriatric population with ocular complexities such as cataract, Age Related Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, and vision rehabilitation. During her last clinical rotation, she had the opportunity to work with ophthalmologists at Herzig institute and gained significant corneal, and retinal knowledge. These experiences allowed her to work competently on various ocular health conditions and ocular needs to make a positive difference in her patient’s well-being.

In her spare time, Dr. Sammak enjoys spending time with her family, biking, swimming, and listening to classical music. She is conversant in Farsi and English and taking French classes to become fluent in this language as well.

She is a member Ontario College of Optometry, Ontario Association of Optometry, and Illinois College of Optometry Alumni Association.