SASKATOON – With the first Syrian refugees landing in Canada, a group of friends in Saskatoon are eagerly awaiting the family they’ve sponsored. Between 10 people, they’ve gathered clothing, secured an apartment and spent about $15,000 to bring a Syrian family of five to Saskatoon.
Eman Demmans watched Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on TV, as he welcomed refugees at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport and felt the excitement of bringing a family to Canada.
READ MORE: Trudeau’s welcoming of refugees making international headlines
“I’m happy it’s happening finally. It feels more real,” Demmans said.
In the family she’s helping sponsor, there are two adult parents with three children, aged one, eight and nine years old.
“For me, this is not really an act of charity. This is an act, in many ways, of justice,” said Reyn Lauer, who is also part of the sponsorship group.
Having refugees travel in family units or community groups has a dramatic impact on their chance of thriving in a new country, according to Joe Garcea, political studies professor at the University of Saskatchewan.
“I think the larger the number of refugees that you have together … the greater the likelihood that they can support each other, that they’ll feel happy,” Garcea said.
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Of the 25,000 Syrian refugees destined for Canada, the Government of Saskatchewan has prepared to receive between 800 and 850.
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