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Sudbury welcomes Syrian family to their new home

Eighth Syrian refugee family arrives in Sudbury

A three-year journey reached its final destination Monday afternoon, as Sudbury welcomed its eighth family of Syrian refugees.

Husband and wife Imad Janat and Roaa Hamdoun, along with their five-year-old daughter Liala, walked through the doors of the Greater Sudbury Airport shortly after 4 p.m. on July 8 and were welcomed by a throng of cheering Sudburians.

Among those in the welcoming party was Hakim Al Zahram, who was among the first waves of Syrian refugees to make their new home in Sudbury. Al Zahram arrived in Sudbury in the dead of winter on Jan. 6, 2016, and while the weather conditions on Monday afternoon were far more welcoming, Hakim says he wouldn't trade Sudbury for anything.

"I was so excited for them to arrive today, I could barely sleep last night," said Al Zahram. "I want them to know that they are in the right place, it might be cold here nine months of the year, but the people's hearts are warm. That is what matters, it's the people, and even for me now, I love the snow."

The civil war in Syria that has been ongoing since 2011 has uprooted more than 12 million people - half of the nation's population - and brought forth waves of refugees to Canada.

Imad, Roaa, and Liala had a lengthy journey over the past three years before finally touching down in Sudbury, moving from Syria to Lebanon, to Iraq, to Abu Dhabi, before finally flying to Toronto and north to Sudbury.

Imad was in bright spirits when he and his family walked into the Greater Sudbury Airport and were greeted by at least a dozen people waving Canadian flags.

A dentist by profession in his homeland, Imad says it will take roughly 2.5 years for him to get his license in Canada and resume his work. His immediate plans however were to get his family settled in their new home.

"I'm happy now that we're finally here," said Janat, who speaks English fluently. "First we just want to get everything settled down, but this welcome was so nice. I wasn't expecting this at all."

In the time leading up to their arrival in Sudbury, Janat says he did a good amount of research about the Nickel City, and was quick to point out a few stops that are high on his list.

"I know you have the Big Nickel here, and an amazing science centre," he said. "I also learned you have a great university at Laurentian."

The family will be set up with a two-bedroom home that was arranged for them by the Sudbury Islamic Association, who will also be helping them with the transition by getting all of their paperwork sorted.

"We're giving a family who went through hell a chance at a better life," said Maha Dabliz, who came to Sudbury from Lebanon in 1974 and has been working as a translator for Arabic-speaking newcomers to the city for a number of years.

"I appreciate every day I have here, having a place to feel safe. We were very lucky that we were able to get a home for them. We'll help them get their bank account set up, and get their social insurance numbers, get their daughter into school. It's going to take some time, but life is a challenge. We're just happy they have a place where they can feel safe."

Maha's husband, Abdul-Hak Dabliz is the imam at the Sudbury Mosque, and was also on hand Monday afternoon to welcome the new family.

"Life is karma -- when you do good in the world, good happens," he said. "These are good people coming here, they have a right to be here."

Tay Butt was at the forefront of bringing the family to Subury via the Islamic Association of Sudbury. The group raised 100 per cent of the money to bring the family to Northern Ontario and were matched up with Imad and his family through the federal government's BVOR (Blended Visa Office-Referred) Program.

"I can't even express how excited I am, that after three years of working to bring them here today is the day," said Butt, who was thrilled to see Hakim Al Zahram at the airport as part of the welcoming party.

"We don't ask any of the existing families to help out in any way, but it's great to see this. It helps these families feel more at home when they arrive."


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