‘My country is now your country’: Canadians tell Syrian refugees #WelcometoCanada

“It goes beyond government to include every single Canadian, whom we are asking to come forward and contribute…”

Photos taken by the Canadian Forces at the airport point showed a mix of men and women, teens and young children, some being offered teddy bears by Canadian officials.

Another planeload of refugees is expected to arrive in Montreal on Saturday.

“Tonight is a wonderful night where we get to show a plane-load of new Canadians what Canada is all about, but we get to show the world how to open our hearts and welcome in people who are fleeing extraordinary hard situations”, Trudeau said in a speech captured by the New York Times.

Canada’s Immigration and Refugees Minister John McCallum has lauded the efforts of Sikhs to help thousands fleeing Syria, a media report said.

“Canada’s programmes are an expression of support to Syrian refugees but importantly for us they are a demonstration too of solidarity to countries in the region hosting more than 4 million Syrian refugees”, United Nations refugee agency spokesman Adrian Edwards told a news briefing in Geneva.

Literally. Justin Trudeau, the new Prime Minister of Canada, was there when 163 Syrian refugees touched down in Canada to start their new lives.

CN is a true backbone of the economy whose team of approximately 25,000 railroaders transports more than C$250 billion worth of goods annually for a wide range of business sectors, ranging from resource products to manufactured products to consumer goods, across a rail network of approximately 20,000 route-miles spanning Canada and mid-America.

Taylor said in the end, though, they will be “ready anytime” to welcome the newcomers.

A handful of people gathered at the global arrivals gate at Pearson bearing signs and gifts.

Andrew Harris, 51, said he wanted to counter the fearful messaging about Muslims that has circulated since the Paris attacks.

“Refugees will always be welcome in Canada”, he said.

Canada’s commitment reflectd the change in government after October’s election.

“I hope you might live near us”, said another. Canada is doing the right thing by providing refuge for those so desperately seeking safety.

Buses ferrying refugees began pulling up to the hotel shortly after 3 a.m. but Youssef didn’t immediately spot her relatives. It airlifted more than 5,000 people from Kosovo in the late 1990s, more than 5,000 from Uganda in 1972 and resettled 60,000 Vietnamese in 1979-80.

The Karageouzians, who will live with their cousin, expect the rest of their family to arrive in Canada within the next few weeks – one son and his family coming from Lebanon and another son coming from Dubai.