After eight month wait, Syrian refugees arrive in Sudbury

After eight months of waiting, Sudbury Project Hope has finally welcomed its refugee family to the city.

The family of seven from Syria arrived at the Sudbury airport last Thursday. They had spent the last fewyears at a refugee camp in Jordan.

'We have been waiting for you for a long time'

The Sudbury sponsor group is chaired by former mayor Jim Gordon.

"We just want you to know we have been waiting for you for a long time," Gordon told the family through an interpreter.

"And we are here to support you in every way possible. You've come to a country where you're not judged by the colour of skin, or your religion. Here, we judge or weigh each other based on how we treat each other."

• Visit: Sudbury Project Hope

Gordon said the family spent the weekend adjusting to their new home, including taking in Canada Day festivities.

"They lost their homes. They've had to leave relatives. They've been threatened with deathand not knowing whether anything would be done or any help would come to them in any way shape or form," Gordon said.

"To think that we as other human beings on the other side of the world would be able to give somebody new life is a privilege and a blessing."

Next step for refugees - health cards

Sudbury Project Hope plans to first work to get health cards for each member of the family.

"There is a group that's responsible for the health and well being of this group," Gordon said, "and they will be seeing that they get their health cards; that they get information about health matters in the city"

The five children will be involved in summer activities, while the parents learn English.

• Read more:Syrian refugees in Sudbury: how they are doing, four months later
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