Large Syrian refugee family kept together by Ottawa Valley group

There are about a dozen churches in and around the small Ottawa Valley town of Eganville, Ont. but not one mosque.

Nevertheless, the community about 130 kilometres west of Ottawa nowhas a small but growing population of Syrian refugeesafter a local group, Valley Welcome, stepped in to help.

CBC Ottawa's Hallie Cotnammet the intrepid volunteers and heard the story of how they stickhandled their way through the settlement bureaucracy to ensure an extended Syrian family wouldn't be split up.

It's a story that involves a pastor's special skills, a fair bit of sleuthing, and lots of laughing and crying.

You can check out some photos of the family above and listen to interviews with the family and the Eganville group below.

• Listen here as Hallie Cotnam visits the family in Eganville, Ont.