~Janet Matthews
Aurora, Ontario
Welcome Home
In a world divided by differences of colour, race, language, religion, and ideology, the Canadian experience stands out as a message of hope. My prayer is that you will continue to offer this message to mankind.
~Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
My Canadian Dream
Canada is my home because: it works, however imperfectly and reluctantly; it has a social conscience which can be stirred to howl; it is utterly beautiful from sea to sea.
~June Callwood
When people say “follow your dreams,” they should add that they don’t always come true, or that a lot of terrible things may happen before your dream comes true. My own dream began many years before the horrible civil war that now grips Syria. In 2001, when I was sixteen, my cousin came to Syria to work and learn Arabic. All I knew was she was twenty-three, she lived in Canada, and two decades earlier my mother had visited Toronto when she was a baby.
We had an instant connection. My cousin had such a kind, warm smile, and was so excited to hear about our lives. She encouraged me to practice my English as long as I would teach her Arabic! When I told her that my dream was to go to Canada, her response was warm and honest. “Canada is a wonderful place, but you’re lucky to be surrounded by family in Syria. Still, I hope your dream will come true one day.”
The years passed. I graduated high school and earned my university degree in applied chemistry. I found good jobs, lived at home with my family, and enjoyed time with friends. Life was good. Life was safe and comfortable. And then the war started.
There are so many terrible things about war. We all know this. But when you face the horror firsthand, war becomes despicable. This war began to steal everything from me. It took the lives of my friends and co-workers. War was destroying the lives of an entire generation of children. I began losing my desire to live. I had had enough.
In 2015, I decided to do what thousands of others had done. I contacted a human smuggler to get me on a rubber dinghy to Greece. Yes, I was prepared to risk my life to get out of the living hell that my country had become. Some friends had recently made the journey. They survived, and reported that it wasn’t that bad.
My plans were all but set when my cousin in Canada posted a powerful image on Facebook — a cartoon depicting Syrian refugees who had drowned in the sea trying to get out — with blurbs of their dreams: “My dream is to live and be a better person.” Or “My dream is to live in peace.” These were my dreams too — but the punch line in the image was its title: “Even dreams can sink.” In that moment, I realized I could easily die on this journey.
I wrote a comment on my cousin’s post. It would be the first time she and I had been in contact since the war started. I wrote: No matter how dangerous this journey across the sea, I will emigrate because our life here has become an unbearable hell.
That was the best way I could describe it in English. And it was true. Within minutes a private message popped into my Facebook inbox from my cousin. She wrote: Salam alaikum Rahaf, keefik? InshAllah you are ok. I am sorry we haven’t kept in touch for a long time…
After a few message exchanges, my cousin begged me to not embark on this perilous journey. The images of death were streaming on the news every day. Alan Kurdi, the young Syrian boy who drowned making the same journey, was fresh in everyone’s mind. Many say the image of his small, lifeless body on the beach in Turkey changed the course of the Syrian refugee crisis. My cousin then explained that Canada was on the verge of accepting thousands of Syrians. That there was hope. She was going to help. That my dream could actually come true.
I didn’t know what to say. I loved my cousin, but I didn’t quite believe her. How could she get me from this dangerous death zone to the safety of Canada? She explained that private Canadian citizens, churches and other organizations were sponsoring refugees to come to Canada. Canada was truly a special place, she explained. No other country in the world had the same program.
Because I worked for the government it was illegal for me to leave the country. When I left my home in Damascus I had to do it with extreme caution. When I said goodbye to my parents, brother and sisters, we had to act as though it was a short-term journey. We all knew it would be years before we saw each other again.
My journey was long and truly terrifying. With a group of others I travelled by land on buses and on foot, through sixteen checkpoints — each manned by a different armed group. Some men were kind and helpful, but most were aggressive and war-torn, filled with hate — and they filled us with terror.
The two days it took to travel north to the Turkish border were filled with fear and death. We saw war. But we survived.
I finally made it to the Turkish border and travelled to Istanbul. I had never travelled outside of Syria, let alone travelled alone. I was lucky though. One of my cousins had left Syria a few weeks before and was living in Istanbul with her thirteen-year-old daughter. I would live with them in their apartment until the paperwork my cousin was working on in Canada was complete.
Six months later I found myself on a plane flying to Vancouver. My dream was coming true.
The day I arrived in Kelowna, British Columbia was nothing short of magical. I was exhausted, but I was finally home. I can’t quite explain why I felt like I was “home” — it was simply a feeling. I can barely remember the short flight from Vancouver to the Okanagan Valley; I do recall looking out the window and being completely enchanted by the lake and the surrounding mountains.
As we approached Kelowna, I gazed down at the city and wondered where I would live. It was spring, so everything was green, and the sun was just barely peeking behind the clouds after a rainstorm. So many emotions were running through my head. I was worried, I was excited, and I couldn’t believe I would soon finally see my cousin in Canada!
I rushed down the long hallway and my heavy bags felt like nothing; all I wanted was to get there. Finally, I saw them — familiar faces. I saw my cousin, with that same warm smile I knew so well. With her was her delightful sixteen-month-old daughter who I had grown to love through photos and videos. Her husband was there, too, with his mother, and a member of the local church that had helped make this happen.
We hugged, we cried, and we laughed. I had made it!
When we walked out into the parking lot, the setting was surreal. There’s nothing quite like the smell after a fresh rain in the spring — especially when you’ve spent the last five years smelling war.
I was in Canada! And only in Canada, just moments after arriving in my new home, would I be greeted by a rainbow. My cousin laughed, with tears in her eyes, and said, “Look, Rahaf! Canada is happy you are here too!”
Dreams do come true!
~Rahaf Bi
Kelowna, British Columbia
Best Surprise Ever!
Canada was built around a very simple premise. A promise that you can work hard and succeed and build a future for yourselves and your kids, and that future for your kids would be better than the one you had.
~Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
“I have a great idea,” said Mom. My sister Keira and I looked at each other, wondering what we were in for.
“What if,” she said, with a long pause for dramatic effect, “we set up Nancy’s apartment while she’s away?”
Nancy, our nanny had returned to the Philippines to get her children and bring them back with her to Canada. She was on the final leg of a ten-year journey. When her children were only one and five years old, she had left them to find work because there was no work in the Philippines.
Through friends she heard that Canada was the land of opportunity. But, to be granted admission to the live-in caregiver program she first had to gain experience as a caregiver in Hong Kong. Working in Hong Kong was like boot camp. Conditions were harsh. She slept in the stock room of a family’s apartment and was at their beck and call almost twenty-four hours a day.
I remember the day we picked her up at the airport. We had a winter coat ready to help welcome her to Canada. Once here, she immersed herself in starting a new life. She was a great addition to our family. She joined a church, a choir, and took driving lessons. She called home to the Philippines once a week and sent money to her mother and sister, who were caring for her kids.
Two years after arriving she was allowed to apply for Canadian permanent resident’s status. It took five years to get it, and we celebrated with cake the night the letter finally came. Nancy would finally be able to bring her children to live with her in her new country.
As luck would have it, an apartment became available in our neighbourhood right before she left. She quickly secured it and prepared to leave for two months.
“Could you do me a big favour?” Nancy asked Mom as she was leaving. “I’ve ordered some mattresses so we have something to sleep on when we arrive. Do you think you could let the delivery man into the apartment?”
“No problem,” said Mom.
What Mom didn’t say was that she’d already begun hatching a plan to completely furnish the whole place.
“Hey Mom, I hate to burst your bubble,” I said, “but how are we possibly going to furnish an entire apartment?”
“Well, we have some extra stuff in the attic,” she replied. “Maybe we can help our neighbours and Nancy at the same time. The neighbors can purge their extras, and we can piece together a great home for Nancy. Let’s send an out an e-mail and see.” So the e-mail went to about seventy neighbours:
After ten years of working day and night, Nancy has finally gone home to bring back her children. Let’s surprise her by turning her empty apartment into a proper home! If you have any “extras” after doing your spring-cleaning, let me know.
Mom shared more of Nancy’s story, and made suggestions for useful donations — really just about everything!
“I’m in! How can I help?” shouted Keltie, as we walked past her house on our way to school the next morning.
“Me too,” chimed in Lisa from further up the street, as she jumped in her car to head to work. “I had tears in my eyes reading your e-mail,” she told us. “We’re so incredibly lucky to have been born in Canada… and have this abundance all around us! I want to help!”
That night at dinner, Mom, as usual, asked about the highlights of our day. But I could tell she couldn’t wait to tell us something, too. Finally, we relieved her of her misery and asked about her day.
“Well,” she said with a grin, “I got a few replies to our e-mail… and by a few I mean dozens! We have chairs, couches, dressers, tables, quilts, and TVs! We might even have more donations than we can use!”
That entire week the e-mails and texts kept flooding in. Shawn wanted to help with the set-up. A chair and loveseat from Susi, a coffee table from Beth, a kitchen table from Kim, and a dresser from Shannon. A barbeque from Kate and a TV from Lori. Deanna the gardener offered to make flower and herb pots for Nancy’s front porch. Rita the principal offered to help Nancy navigate the school system and set up desks with school supplies for the kids. Sarah who works at East Side Mario’s provided a gift certificate for a celebration dinner! Jennifer baked some goodies for Nancy’s freezer! The list went on and on! Everyone pitched in.
The landlord, Meghan, was in on the surprise as well. She let our little team in with clipboards, measuring tapes and graph paper to plan everything.
Unbeknownst to Nancy, her empty apartment was slowly filling with love. Nancy had served others her entire life, and now a team of mothers and kids was looking after her. We all knew the bravery, sacrifice and perseverance that Nancy had demonstrated. Her hope, faith and a strong work ethic were impressive and we wanted to do this kind thing for her, to give her a break for once.
Set-up weekend arrived. We loaded our van with our own donations, and then we made a trip around the “hood” to pick up the remaining items. We had so much fun setting up! It was amazing how everything fit perfectly to make a beautiful home. Finally we were done, and we were so excited! Nancy and her children were arriving the next day. We made a “Welcome Home!” sign, baked some cookies and went to bed with huge grins.
The next day, when Nancy and her children arrived at their new home, we were there too. It was absolutely the best surprise ever, better than Christmas! Nancy held onto the door for support while her confused look slowly turned into a beaming smile as Mom explained what the neighbours had done.
“Thank you,” she managed to whisper.
I’ve heard adults talk about their “bucket list.” Things they want to do or have before they die. Well I think that bucket list should include things you want to do for others before you die. This experience was better than anything I’ve seen on any bucket list!
Mom told Nancy how the whole neighbourhood had pitched in. She explained that Nancy had inspired them all, and it was her turn to be looked after for a change.
Nancy flopped down on her new bed. With tears in her eyes she explained that on the flight over she had felt exhausted. She had wondered how she was going to create a home for her kids. But now, she said, “I feel like I never need to sleep! I want to march down the street shouting ‘THANK YOU!’ to everyone! Wow, I really feel like I’m… no, we… are part of this community now.”
And indeed they are. That’s what it’s like here in Canada. We welcome, embrace and appreciate diversity, and we are all better for it!
~Brooke and Keira Elliott, ages 14 and 9
Aurora, Ontario
Fort McMurray Strong
If you want to know, really know, what it means to be a true neighbour, ready to help in hard times, go to Alberta. It’s the prairie code, and in our best times — it’s the Canadian code too.
Every citizen — is your neighbour.
~Rex Murphy, The National, May 7, 2016
The northern city of Fort McMurray was my home for twenty-two years. During those years I made many wonderful friends from all over Canada. But this community is really an island surrounded by boreal forest. And everyone who lives there knows there’s always a danger of fire.
In May of 2016 I was visiting friends in Victoria when the wildfire started. Fort McMurray was suddenly plunged into a state of emergency. My friend Lynn was working as a teacher’s aide and, at lunchtime on May 3rd her downtown school was clear. But an hour later the wind had shifted and she could see the angry red and orange balls of fire and heavy smoke as the monster fire rolled down Abasand Hill. Somewhere up that hill was her two-and-a-half-year-old grandson, Jedrik, at the nanny’s where her daughter Alyssa had dropped him earlier. The boy had breathing challenges, and after trying unsuccessfully to reach the nanny, Lynn quickly decided to leave school to find out what was happening. Moments later came the official order to evacuate the entire city.
Jedrik’s mother Alyssa was at work across the river near their family home in Thickwood. A prior arrangement had established the home of Lynn’s ex-husband Terry as the family’s emergency meeting place. Before heading there, Alyssa raced home to pick up her fiancé Sean and her brother Nick. After quickly grabbing a few essentials, and their two cats, they all jumped in Alyssa’s vehicle and headed across the river to their father’s.
It took Lynn almost forty minutes to drive the few block’s to Terry’s. The roads were chaotic, as some people were trying to leave town while others tried to return home. Just as she arrived there was an explosion in Abasand as the fire hit a gas station. Surely lives would be lost from this.
There was still no word about Jedrik. The rest of the family arrived and continued trying to reach the nanny. As the smoke grew heavier, all they could do was go inside and pray. Finally, the nanny called. “I have to make a run for it!” she said, and then the phone went dead. This cryptic message was unclear, as they knew she’d be trying to make it down Abasand Hill — on a road where traffic was gridlocked and fire spewed on either side. It seemed a miracle when not long after she burst in the door and handed the frightene
d child to his mother. “A cop knocked on my window, shouting, ‘if you want to get out of here, you have to get out of the car and run!’ ” she explained. She left quickly to try to find her own people.
Now that they were reunited, the five adults, two cats and the toddler piled into Alyssa’s vehicle. Highway 63 south was completely blocked so everyone was directed to head to the camps north of the oil sands. But when they arrived the camps were full. By this time the hardworking firefighters had managed to re-open the southbound highway. Heading back to Fort Mac they picked up Lynn’s van and split into two vehicles. With a bit more space they now headed south on the slow moving highway, with the fire running along both sides of them in the ditches.
“At Anzac we pulled over for the night,” Lynn said. “We couldn’t go any further. A twenty-five minute trip had taken us two and a half hours. The next morning we joined the long line to the gas station, and waited over two hours to fill up.”
With no usable phones they relied on radio broadcasters to guide them to their next stop, which was Lac La Biche, about two hours away. The entire community of 25,000 had been preparing for the evacuees. Beds had been set up in an arena, but when Lynn’s family arrived they found that one family had actually vacated their home so they could move in. People were soon knocking at their door with clothes, food, toiletries and toys for little Jedrik. They were fed and welcomed, and they were safe. After the stress of the past two days, they were truly overwhelmed by the kindness and welcome they received.