Late last Tuesday, November 29, a family of seven Syrian refugees – mom Faeza Musaa, dad Jmal Al Rashed, and children Mohammad (11), Ali (9), Aatedal (7), Tabarak (5) and Ahmad Jamal (2) – arrived in Huntsville. Their sponsorship here is the work of Syrian Refugee Sponsorship Huntsville, an ad hoc group of local volunteers who hope to provide them with a safe new life in Canada.
It took more than a year from the time the SRS committee submitted an application, and a difficult decision on the committee’s part to welcome a new family after they were told by government officials that they could not wait for the Ahlams, the family they had initially agreed to sponsor.
Spokesperson Nancy Wilding said that the Al Rashed family – who had been temporarily living in Beirut, Lebanon before coming to Canada – was exhausted when they arrived, but were both excited and overwhelmed to see the home that had been prepared for them. They have met with various committee members and are starting to settle in. The children will start school on December 12.
“We are so grateful to have the opportunity to help these people find a safe life,” said Wilding.
And the committee remains committed to working with its original refugee family if they receive clearance and choose to come to Huntsville. “We wouldn’t be sponsoring them,” explained Wilding. “They would come as government-assisted refugees so they wouldn’t need a sponsor and under that scenario they would have a choice where to settle. They have expressed a desire to come to Huntsville but that could change. We have continued to communicate with them and have said we would support them with volunteers and our connections in the community if they choose to come here.”
Wilding said that the Al Rashed family has expressed gratitude to the community for its support.
Don’t miss out on Doppler! Sign up for our free, twice-weekly newsletter here.
This is a letter I forwarded to MP John McCallum and PM Justin Trudeau earlier today
Dear MP John McCallum,
I want your government to pay the private sponsors of Syrian refugees, who were not processed on time, for the unnecessary delay to their respective communities across Canada. I have been following the delay of the Syrian refugees to Huntsville, Ontario. According to a Toronto Star news article dated Dec . 12, 2016, the private sponsors have spent ( lost ) $12 ,000 to rent an empty house. The article also stated your government is basking in kudos you are receiving from around the world about welcoming 25,000 plus Syrian refugees. Everything is not back to normal as many Canadian private sponsors are left in the lurch to pay for housing et al for refugees who have not arrived. You need to step up to the plate to reimburse these generous Canadians who went to bat for the Syrians .
Not Sunny Ways.
John Barltrop
Markham, Ontario
Welcome to Huntsville to the Al Rashed family! And kudos to the Syrian Refugee Sponsorship group.
I hope that everyone settles in well and that Doppler will continue to follow this heartwarming story. Thanks for the initial introduction, Dawn. I’ll be watching for follow-ups.
Welcome Home!