While those of us who have been Canadians all our lives, get ready for a new year of business and pleasure, it might be fair to consider for a few moments, our newly arrived Canadians who are not only pondering a new year, but also an entirely new life.
Take, for instance, a recent interview with a nine-year-old refugee from Syria, who has spent the last few months in his new home.
The reporter asked the youngster what he liked best about Canada?
The youngster, speaking in somewhat broken, but very understandable English replied,
鈥淚 like that walls stay up and there are no guns.鈥�
How many long-term Canadians celebrate the fact that we are probably not going to get shot today and that when we go home, it will still be there?
Those who have fled in terror still might want to return one day. After all, home is home, even if there are no walls left.
It is important for Canadians to make our refugees, our immigrant populations, feel comfortable. This may be a temporary home for them, or a permanent one. Either way, it鈥檚 difficult, and only we can make it easier.
Some newly arrived mothers and fathers are learning to communicate with the schools that are educating their children. Some of these children have not seen a school for a year or two or three. They do not know what a report card is.
Professionals from another country who can鈥檛 get re-certified in Canada without going through red tape entanglements, re-testing, and months of delays, can be excused for displaying a little frustration with our exhausting bureaucratic systems.
Think for awhile about the other refugee youngsters who were being interviewed, who displayed unmitigated joy when they discovered there was a playground, built especially for them and other children, to use freely. Again, this is something Canadian kids take for granted. Playgrounds have always been there for us. That is not the case for these new arrivals. They have to learn how to use playgrounds.
One youngster stated he simply enjoyed the fact that he could run freely from one end of the playpark to the other. He just wanted to run for fun, not to dodge bullets, bombs and debris.
Another child displayed wonderment at this thing we called Halloween.
鈥淲e put on a costume and people give us candy,鈥� he declared, amazement still clear in his voice.
The young people are getting used to wearing colourful clothing. Where they came from, melding in with black and grey clothing was important. It was dangerous to stand out in a crowd.
These newly arrived young people have learned that clapping hands is a universal display of joy. They have learned that to sing a song is OK.
Slightly older kids from Afghanistan, Syria and Somalia spoke of appreciating the counselling they were receiving and that by sharing their stories, they could build trust among themselves because their stories of abuse, danger and flight, were similar.
One pre-teen girl noted how she embraced the opportunity to celebrate Canada Day last summer because, 鈥淐anada has given me a chance to live as a human.鈥�
Another teenager stated that while she wasn鈥檛 a Christian, she enjoyed that Christmas song about a silent night where 鈥測ou can sleep in heavenly peace.鈥�
One of the adults said that while they may struggle to become comfortable here, they were happy because they could now 鈥渋nvest in their children who will be good Canadians.鈥�
Something for us to think about in our 150th year, perhaps?
