By Mark Brett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
For an immigrant family from Penticton, what began as a week of fear and uncertainty has turned into a new lease on life in their adopted homeland.
After getting a one-week delay on a June 13 deportation order, on Tuesday, Hardeep Singh Chahal, his wife Kamaldeep Kaur and three-year-old daughter Keerat Kaur, were informed by the government the delay is now 害羞草研究所渋ndefinite.害羞草研究所�
In addition, they have been invited to reapply for their cancelled work visas.
害羞草研究所淚 just feel so good now. For the last few days there was just so much going through our minds, just so little hope and now this,害羞草研究所� said Kamaldeep through her tears of joy in a telephone interview from the Surrey motel where they害羞草研究所檝e been staying while waiting for the flight out. 害羞草研究所淲e were talking in the morning and if they had not called us, we would have been on an airplane now and leaving our home.
害羞草研究所淔or our future I have so many positive things to think. I now have this hope that we will be able to stay. That this will be our home and our children害羞草研究所檚 home forever.害羞草研究所�
Keerat was born in Canada and Kamaldeep is expecting their second child.
Especially overwhelming for the family was the community response to their situation after the story first appeared in the June 3 print edition of The Herald.
害羞草研究所淚 just can害羞草研究所檛 understand how I can say thanks to everybody who has helped us stay here, I just can害羞草研究所檛 explain it,害羞草研究所� said Kamaldeep. 害羞草研究所淔or whoever helped us, to everybody who, did thank you so much. We will never forget this help.害羞草研究所�
After the story appeared in multiple publications through the Local Journalism Initiative program, more than 100 emails were received and forwarded by member of Parliament Richard Cannings害羞草研究所� office to the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
害羞草研究所淚 think the community support made a difference,害羞草研究所� said Cannings Tuesday in a phone interview from Ottawa. 害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 not surprised at all about that support. I think that害羞草研究所檚 an indication that they have all that support and with that support comes hope.害羞草研究所�
Jula Sukumar-Dyer, Cannings害羞草研究所� constituent assistant who has worked tirelessly on the matter agreed.
害羞草研究所淚 think it is all the community letters and the case that we made for the family is super important and caught their (government) attention.
害羞草研究所淭here was a really good reason for us and the community to advocate and I害羞草研究所檓 just so happy the government was able to see the reasons through our eyes.害羞草研究所�
And while there is still a process they害羞草研究所檒l have to go through to get their Canadian citizenship, according Sukumar-Dyer, their future looks bright.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e still waiting for some more news, but things are moving very quickly and moving in a positive direction,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淗onestly, deportations are really hard to turn around, but I think it can happen.害羞草研究所�
Another person who is very happy with Tuesday害羞草研究所檚 news is Hardeep害羞草研究所檚 former employer and the man who brought the family害羞草研究所檚 plight to public attention, Pierre Levesque.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e all just so happy, I feel like a million bucks,害羞草研究所� said Levesque. 害羞草研究所淚t is heartwarming for me. I mean I get to keep a very talented tractor operator, but I guess for me it goes a little deeper than that.害羞草研究所�
The family was returning home to Penticton Tuesday evening and was planning to meet with officials of the city害羞草研究所檚 Sikh Temple who also stepped up to help after learning about their situation.
害羞草研究所淭he family is not finished with this yet and they still have to carry on with the process and so if they need help with that one we will,害羞草研究所� said Temple member Jesse Garcha. 害羞草研究所淎nything we can do to help the couple we will.害羞草研究所�
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