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There was no crowd of well-wishers waving welcome signs and offering hugs when Ottawa’s newest Syrian refugee family arrived at the Ottawa airport Monday night.
Suliman and Ammeh Al Meqdad and their three young kids were met by a government-hired van service, which took them to Maison Sophia refugee reception house in the ByWard Market. There they were issued a modest room and quietly welcomed to their new country.
The emotional airport-arrival scenes that have riveted Canadians recently have featured privately sponsored Syrian refugees, who have friends or family to help them start new lives in Canada. Government-sponsored refugees like the Al Meqdads rely on the kindness of settlement workers.
The Al Meqdads will spend about a month at Maison Sophia, receiving basic instruction about life in Canada, before moving into their own apartment. They’ll soon be joined by a flood of other government-sponsored Syrian refugees — about 100 this month, and an estimated 600 to 800 in January and February.
Wednesday was only Day 2 at Maison Sophia for the Al Meqdad family, but the kids have already picked up some key English phrases. Ritaj, a seven-year-old firecracker in a track suit, jumped into the air and beamed when asked through an interpreter how she likes Canada so far.
“Very good, thank you!” she chirped. Fatima, 11, and Mohammad, 13, were quieter at first, but soon raced through the halls of the three-storey brick building, pointing out the children’s playroom and the cafeteria where the refugees are served three meals a day.
The family had a packed schedule Wednesday, from dental checkups by a public-health department hygienist to a visit from Santa.
Dental hygienist Oumnia Bekhti did the checkups, also reminding the parents about the importance of brushing, and assuring them that tap water in Canada is the healthiest thing to drink. Many refugees come from camps where the water is unsafe, so they are accustomed to drinking sugar-loaded soft drinks or juice, she said.
The parents went with a settlement worker to the service centre at Ottawa City Hall, where they were quickly issued health cards, then strolled through the lobby, politely looking at pictures of Ottawa’s mayors and snapping pictures of themselves by a Christmas tree.
But the big highlight of the day was Maison Sophia’s Christmas party, with snacks, a soundtrack of Christmas carols, and a visit from Santa.
Mohammad Al Meqdad takes a selfie with Santa during the Christmas party at the Maison Sophia reception house for refugees.
The Al Meqdads say they are lucky to have one Syrian friend in town, a man who arrived in Ottawa as a refugee seven months ago. He urged them to accept a Canadian government offer to resettle here.
“A lot of people encouraged us to come to Canada,” said Suliman through an interpreter. “The quality of life, the pros, are huge. It’s very well known that Canada is a welcoming, warm and beautiful country.”
“We expect to have a better life in Canada,” he said. The family spent three years and three months in a camp in Jordan, surviving on a small food stipend given refugees, after fleeing their home in Damascus.
They left behind an entire life — from the car dealership Suliman ran with his brother to their house, which 11-year-old Fatima describes through an interpreter as “very large … like a mansion, with nice trees and flowers in the back.”
They had no choice, said Suliman, after he was picked up at random at a police checkpoint and thrown in jail for four months, where he was tortured. “I was afraid they would throw me in jail again,” he said through the interpreter. “Of course, we were threatened to be killed as well.”
Both Suliman and Ammeh come from large families. Counting their parents, brothers and sisters and their children and spouses, there are more than 50 people, now scattered, some still in Syria, some in the refugee camp in Jordan, one family in Denmark.
They are happy to be in Ottawa, said Suliman and Ammeh with soft smiles. But their past is always with them. As the family tucks into a lunch of rice, beans and chicken at the Maison Sophia cafeteria, Suliman suddenly stops and points at his plate, struggling to find the English words. “Syria. War. People die. Hungry.”
Circle of Friends
What: A new program sponsored by the Catholic Centre for Immigrants that links volunteers with newly-arrived Syrian refuges sponsored by the government. The friends will provide advice and tips on living in Canada. Small groups of volunteers and refugees will meet at churches or community halls.
The requirements: Volunteers must commit to weekly meetings of a couple of hours for eight weeks. Police checks are required, but the Catholic Centre for Immigrants will co-ordinate and pay for them.
Information session: Jan. 12 from 6-7:30 p.m., Catholic Centre for Immigrants, 219 Argyle St.
查看原文...
Suliman and Ammeh Al Meqdad and their three young kids were met by a government-hired van service, which took them to Maison Sophia refugee reception house in the ByWard Market. There they were issued a modest room and quietly welcomed to their new country.
The emotional airport-arrival scenes that have riveted Canadians recently have featured privately sponsored Syrian refugees, who have friends or family to help them start new lives in Canada. Government-sponsored refugees like the Al Meqdads rely on the kindness of settlement workers.
The Al Meqdads will spend about a month at Maison Sophia, receiving basic instruction about life in Canada, before moving into their own apartment. They’ll soon be joined by a flood of other government-sponsored Syrian refugees — about 100 this month, and an estimated 600 to 800 in January and February.
Wednesday was only Day 2 at Maison Sophia for the Al Meqdad family, but the kids have already picked up some key English phrases. Ritaj, a seven-year-old firecracker in a track suit, jumped into the air and beamed when asked through an interpreter how she likes Canada so far.
“Very good, thank you!” she chirped. Fatima, 11, and Mohammad, 13, were quieter at first, but soon raced through the halls of the three-storey brick building, pointing out the children’s playroom and the cafeteria where the refugees are served three meals a day.
The family had a packed schedule Wednesday, from dental checkups by a public-health department hygienist to a visit from Santa.
Dental hygienist Oumnia Bekhti did the checkups, also reminding the parents about the importance of brushing, and assuring them that tap water in Canada is the healthiest thing to drink. Many refugees come from camps where the water is unsafe, so they are accustomed to drinking sugar-loaded soft drinks or juice, she said.
The parents went with a settlement worker to the service centre at Ottawa City Hall, where they were quickly issued health cards, then strolled through the lobby, politely looking at pictures of Ottawa’s mayors and snapping pictures of themselves by a Christmas tree.
But the big highlight of the day was Maison Sophia’s Christmas party, with snacks, a soundtrack of Christmas carols, and a visit from Santa.
Mohammad Al Meqdad takes a selfie with Santa during the Christmas party at the Maison Sophia reception house for refugees.
The Al Meqdads say they are lucky to have one Syrian friend in town, a man who arrived in Ottawa as a refugee seven months ago. He urged them to accept a Canadian government offer to resettle here.
“A lot of people encouraged us to come to Canada,” said Suliman through an interpreter. “The quality of life, the pros, are huge. It’s very well known that Canada is a welcoming, warm and beautiful country.”
“We expect to have a better life in Canada,” he said. The family spent three years and three months in a camp in Jordan, surviving on a small food stipend given refugees, after fleeing their home in Damascus.
They left behind an entire life — from the car dealership Suliman ran with his brother to their house, which 11-year-old Fatima describes through an interpreter as “very large … like a mansion, with nice trees and flowers in the back.”
They had no choice, said Suliman, after he was picked up at random at a police checkpoint and thrown in jail for four months, where he was tortured. “I was afraid they would throw me in jail again,” he said through the interpreter. “Of course, we were threatened to be killed as well.”
Both Suliman and Ammeh come from large families. Counting their parents, brothers and sisters and their children and spouses, there are more than 50 people, now scattered, some still in Syria, some in the refugee camp in Jordan, one family in Denmark.
They are happy to be in Ottawa, said Suliman and Ammeh with soft smiles. But their past is always with them. As the family tucks into a lunch of rice, beans and chicken at the Maison Sophia cafeteria, Suliman suddenly stops and points at his plate, struggling to find the English words. “Syria. War. People die. Hungry.”
Circle of Friends
What: A new program sponsored by the Catholic Centre for Immigrants that links volunteers with newly-arrived Syrian refuges sponsored by the government. The friends will provide advice and tips on living in Canada. Small groups of volunteers and refugees will meet at churches or community halls.
The requirements: Volunteers must commit to weekly meetings of a couple of hours for eight weeks. Police checks are required, but the Catholic Centre for Immigrants will co-ordinate and pay for them.
Information session: Jan. 12 from 6-7:30 p.m., Catholic Centre for Immigrants, 219 Argyle St.
查看原文...
