The sound of children squealing in delight, punctuated by the lower rumble of adult chatter filled Trinity Baptist Church at a potluck supper held last Saturday.
Joyful noises aren害羞草研究所檛 unusual in the space where community events of varying kinds are held.
What was different, however, was the sounds were coming from 100-plus Syrians who have left behind lives marred by loss and upheaval and made the Central Okanagan home at various times during the last year.
Among those at the gathering was Mohammed Al-Shahoud, his wife Sara and their five children. They were the first Syrian refugees to arrive in Kelowna last July. As Mohammed walked around the room, greeting both sponsor and refugee families alike, it appeared clear that he was at home amid the hubbub.
害羞草研究所淚 call him the unofficial patriarch,害羞草研究所� said one woman, when Mohammed came into view between rows of tables, where families had converged for dinner.
The Shahouds are from Homse, Syria; one of the first cities bombed by the government when the Arab Spring uprising began.
The Central Okanagan Refugee Committee sponsored Mohammed, Sara and the youngest five of their 11 children to come from Jordan, where they were seeking safety.
One of their older children, along with their own family, has since arrived in Canada as well.
In Syria, the family owned a business and had a large house. All was lost after their escape.
Now life is much smaller, albeit safer. Mohammed had a part-time job when he first arrived in Kelowna, but that ended and he害羞草研究所檚 now taking some programming that will help him be more employable in the future.
害羞草研究所淓verything is good,害羞草研究所� Mohammed said, Saturday, eschewing the services of a translator and putting his continually improving English skills to work. 害羞草研究所淲e adapted quickly because we found good people, a good community and very good friends.害羞草研究所�
The company of an increasing number of people who have a first-hand understanding of his plight was particularly welcome.
害羞草研究所淓very family I meet here, they are happy and interesting,害羞草研究所� he said.
Sara, his wife, offered a similar view of their experiences in Kelowna.
害羞草研究所淢ost people have been very nice,害羞草研究所� she said, using the services of translator, Ehab Ghanem.
害羞草研究所淓specially the sponsor families害羞草研究所e can see this being our home (for the longer run), if this is God害羞草研究所檚 will.害羞草研究所�
Hearing people who have suffered inconceivable indignities in just the last few years express thanks to the community that welcomed them isn害羞草研究所檛 new to Ghanem. He is Egyptian and one of a handful of Arabic speaking residents of the Okanagan who volunteer to translate for the Syrians who were moving to the valley.
害羞草研究所淎t first they are afraid of the past and afraid of the future,害羞草研究所� Ghanem said. The war killed more than 250,000 people across Syria and forced at least 10 million to flee.
The past leaving scars was of no surprise to Ghanem, but what he has found surprising is why the future caused such trepidation.
Hundreds of refugees arrived in Canada at the tail end of 2015, while the total number rose to 25,000 by the end of February.
Highlighting the change in tack from the previous government, newly minted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued a number of messages encouraging Canadians to welcome their new neighbours.
害羞草研究所淎fter all, we share values of love, hope and compassion害羞草研究所攊t害羞草研究所檚 what we do, and it害羞草研究所檚 who we are,害羞草研究所� Trudeau said, in a taped Christmas message.
While Syrians were aware of what was happening, Ghanem said that and messages of its kind were viewed as a demand, making Canada害羞草研究所檚 new residents wary of the people they would be greeted by.
害羞草研究所淚 hear this almost every time害羞草研究所ome people thought when Trudeau said, 害羞草研究所榃e will welcome Syrians,害羞草研究所� that it was an order, not something that was truly coming from the people,害羞草研究所� Ghanem said.
害羞草研究所淭hey are shocked that people here are good by themselves and don害羞草研究所檛 need to be ordered to do something. It makes these guys want to return the favour, but they don害羞草研究所檛 know how yet.害羞草研究所�
Carol and Barry Martin say Canada害羞草研究所檚 acceptance of refugees is just part of its character. And they have no doubt that the Syrians will give back害羞草研究所攋ust like the Vietnamese refugees that went before them害羞草研究所攁nd that they害羞草研究所檙e already adding to the community.
The Martins are members of the Mission Creek Alliance Church which, alongside Alliance churches in Kelowna and Lake Country, sponsored the Alasmar family in December. A wider network of Alliance churches has been tapped to further fund the family expenses.
Maher Alasmar, his wife Emtithal and their three boys, ages one to four (plus one more on the way), fled from Homs, a Syrian city decimated by war, and lived in a Lebanese refugee camp for three years.
害羞草研究所淵ou害羞草研究所檝e taken me from death and given me life,害羞草研究所� Maher once told Carol, of the transition.
Despite the dire circumstance they lived in for so long, said Barry as he played a board game or two with a few children, they are remarkably well-adapted.
害羞草研究所淭his has been a wonderful experience,害羞草研究所漢e said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not a task to teach them English or to bring them to things like this. They are lovely, wonderful people.害羞草研究所�
The Alliance church has people visit the family every week to chat, and teach English to Emtithal.
In turn, Emtithal is teaching her tutors a bit of Arabic.
Maher is taking classes downtown, and Barry said he害羞草研究所檚 doing 害羞草研究所渆xceptionally well.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲e took them all down to the Waterfront Park this winter, and the kids were there climbing and play-fighting and the husband and wife got on the swings and were delighted with it all,害羞草研究所� he said, recounting a fond memory.
Work will follow when they have English down pat. Without that, he said, they won害羞草研究所檛 find work that will sustain them.
Finding employment isn害羞草研究所檛 something they fear will be impossible. The community is already embracing its newest residents.
害羞草研究所淲hen we take Emtithal out for coffee, people ask if she害羞草研究所檚 Syrian, and when they find out she is, they害羞草研究所檙e delighted,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭here are people out there who are bigoted, but that is not the norm.害羞草研究所�
The children are also having a good time. One 10-year-old girl named Haya said that she was loving school, in a perfect Canadian accent. The longest she害羞草研究所檇 been able to be in classes before coming to Canada was one month.
When asked if she had made some friends, she offered an even more Canadian thumbs-up.
In addition to the smiling faces and squeals of happiness, sponsor families had countless anecdotes of children enjoying their new lives.
害羞草研究所淚f you want a nice human interest story, here害羞草研究所檚 one about our three-year-old, Abud,害羞草研究所� said Carol.
害羞草研究所淗e was given a bike and he was over the moon about it. He got up early in the morning, and somehow got outside to where his bike was.
害羞草研究所淟uckily, it was locked up, so he decided to just go to sleep next to it and that害羞草研究所檚 where his mom found him.害羞草研究所�
Syrians with sponsor groups from around the Okanagan converge once a month for a get together. While their sponsor families are doing their best to fill the gap of family and friends, one organizer of the event, pointed out they are still isolated from each other as they害羞草研究所檙e spread far apart and few have a driver害羞草研究所檚 licences.
Mounties assign officer to help with new residents
Even the local RCMP are adapting to Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 new residents.
Const. Robyn Boffy is now a 害羞草研究所渘ewcomer liaison officer.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淚 will be of assistance if any issues arise,害羞草研究所� she said at last Saturday害羞草研究所檚 potluck supper.
Top of her priorities this week will be teaching Syrian children who were recently gifted their own bicycles, the rules of the road.
害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e going to have a bike rodeo,害羞草研究所� said Boffy.
Training on how to work with the refugee population came out of Vancouver and Const. Boffy is the only officer in Kelowna assigned the task.
City politicians acknowledge new residents
Kelowna害羞草研究所檚 new Syrian residents were acknowledged by the city last Saturday at a potluck dinner.
Deputy Mayor Luke Stack issued a 害羞草研究所渃ertificate of welcome害羞草研究所� to each of the families who attended the potluck.
害羞草研究所淲e welcome you to B.C.,害羞草研究所� said Stack.
Kelowna, he added, strives to be fruitful in unity and in that spirit it embraces all the new Syrian residents as neighbours.
