Federal government urges corporate Canada to do its part for Syrian refugees

Canada’s openness to this issue stands in contrast to the USA as they have been unenthusiastic about taking in refugees into their country.

For corporations, McCallum said that means money, and lots of it.

“Refugees will always be welcome in Canada”, he said. “It goes beyond government to include every single Canadian, whom we are asking to come forward and contribute…”

Some of the refugees who arrived in Toronto on the first government flight late Thursday were picked up from a hotel where they spent the night by family members and other Canadians who privately sponsored them.

“I can’t imagine my feelings here, I’m so happy”, he said, tired but smiling, minutes after arriving at the hotel with his wife and son.

Starting Friday, 116 of the new arrivals will head to homes in the Toronto area.

Another planeload of refugees is expected to arrive in Montreal on Saturday. They also were screened one more time at the airport and given permanent residency documents and health cards giving them access to free health care.

“This is something we’re able to do in this country because we define a Canadian not by a skin color or a language or a religion or a background, but by a shared set of backgrounds, aspirations, hopes and dreams that not just Canadians but people around the world share”.

“And thank you for the gorgeous smiles I see”, Trudeau said. “Tonight matters, not just for Canada but for the world”.

Trudeau said last month that he is “very much committed to keeping Canadians safe” while continuing to bring Syrian refugees into the country.

“It’s like a Christmas gift to us”, she said of their arrival. The public was actually warned to stay away from the Toronto airport, as officials feared the overwhelming rush of kindhearted people who wanted to greet the refugees with open arms.