Syrian refugees leave Yukon in search of greener pastures

The Riverdale Baptist Church sponsored and welcomed two refugee families to Whitehorse the first in late 2016 and the second early last year and has since said goodbye to both of them.

"We're looking at this as something that is very positive," said Hillary Gladish,who speaks forthe church.

Gladishsaid both families have moved to southern Canada. The Ahmetfamily, who first arrived in Yukon in September 2016, has now moved to Windsor, Ont. The Omar family arrived in Whitehorse last spring and has since moved to Calgary.

The private sponsorships wereorganized by the Riverdale Baptist Church, with financial help from the Yukon government and a local charitable group, Yukon Cares. The church committed to sponsoringeach family for their firstfull year in Canada, so it's still supporting the Omar family from afar, until March.

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"We've all really created close bonds with both the families in different ways, and just like anyone who decides to leave Whitehorse, it's sad to see your friends go. However, you recognize that there's different opportunities and different places," Gladish said.

"The way that the church community is looking at it is that we're celebrating thatboth of the families had the strength and the ability and the courage to live out their ambitions," Gladish said.

Better work prospects

She says the Omarsmoved to Calgary because Mohamed Omar, a geologist with decades of experience working in the Syrian oil fields, believed he would have a better chance of finding work in his field there. His wife, Shereen Omar, has already found work teaching English, and their eldest son has started school.

The Ahmet family, meanwhile who spent five years in a Turkish refugee camp before coming to Canada went to Windsor to join a larger community of Syrian-Canadians there, Gladish says.

"Yaser, the father, felt that his chances of finding work as a mechanic were better," she said.

Gladish says the church has no current plans to sponsor any more refugees.

Yukon Cares, meanwhile, has said it's raised enough money to sponsor two more families. Yukon Cares was the first local organization to sponsor a family of Syrian refugees. The Aarafat familyarrived in Whitehorse nearly two years ago, and moved to Windsor last summer.

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