St. Stephen welcomes 1st group of government-sponsored Syrians

The first group of government-sponsored Syrians arrived in St. Stephen on Thursday and while they are not the first refugees to call the town home, the three families mark the beginning of a new wave of settlement in rural towns.

Laurie Parris, executive director of the Multicultural Association of Charlotte County, said the families made a deliberate choice tocome to a small place.

"For the first time in many, many years, these people are being given choice. So there are families who arrived who didn't necessarily want to go to a larger centre," Parris said.

The community of St. Stephen has been anticipating these newcomers for a long time, she said.

"We have three very young families. They're all in their mid-thirtiesall of them have young children."

Over the past few weeks, theSyrianfamilies wereliving in a hotel near Fredericton.They were given the choice of moving to St. Stephen, Bathurst, EdmundstonorWoodstock.

Settlement counsellor Kwame Boatengsaid hehas been pitching Charlotte County by speaking to the families about his own personal experience

"I was an immigrant onceand I didn't know anybody the first time I came to Canada. But I stuck here in a smaller townit's the best way to go. Because you have the support of everybody in the community and that is what they are looking for," he said.

Originally,the St. Croix Vineyard andFriends Refugee Committee had expected to privately sponsor a family, but when that option wasn't available,Carol AnneWiebe, a volunteer withthe group, says theyshifted priorities.

"When we found out that there was so many people in hotel rooms and waiting to be placed, we were frustrated and we thought,if we can help those people, let's move over to that program.And that's what we did," said Wiebe.

JoannMacCready, anothervolunteer with theSt.CroixVineyard and Friends groupburst into tears when she watched the Syrians arrivein the St. Stephen church basement where they met their sponsors.

"I think it's good for my community, it's good for me as an individual, and can't save the world, but I can help these people get a new life. It could be my children."