MONTREAL – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Premier Philippe Couillard on Friday, on day ahead of the arrival of the first wave of Syrian refugees in Quebec.
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Couillard and Trudeau, who was on his first official visit to his home province as Prime Minister, discussed the province’s dying with dignity law, the economy, infrastructure, federal transfers, climate change, financial aid to Bombardier Inc. and Quebec’s place in Canada.
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Trudeau praised Quebec’s assisted-dying law, saying it was a potential model for the federal government.
“I have always congratulated Quebecers and the national assembly for its responsible and rigorous approach to such a delicate and sensitive topic for so many people,” Trudeau said.
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Montreal will welcome its first planeload of Syrian refugees Saturday night at Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport.
Trudeau, who along with Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, was in Toronto to greet 163 Syrian refugees just before midnight on Thursday.
“They step off the plane as refugees, but they walk out of this terminal as permanent residents of Canada, with social insurance numbers, with health cards, and with an opportunity to become full Canadians,” Trudeau said.
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It was the first large group brought to Canada by government aircraft.
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The Prime Minister gave winter coats to the two first families to come through the temporary processing centre.
“You are home,” the Prime Minister told them.
“Welcome home.”
The second large group of Syrians is due to land at Pierre Elliott Trudeau airport in Montreal on Saturday.
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They will be among the thousands of Syrians the Trudeau government plans to resettle in Canada.
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Canada will be welcoming 10,000 refugees by the end of the year.
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Another 15,000 are expected to arrive by the end of February, for a total of 25,000 Syrian refugees.
*with files from The Canadian Press.
rachel.lau@globalnews.ca
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