Syrian refugees say 'thank you' to Manitobans

Syrian families celebrate one year in Canada Beth Macdonell on a celebration put on by Syrian families to show their appreciation one year after arriving in Canada.

Syrian refugees who made the journey to our province gathered for a celebration to show their appreciation to Canadians.

It's been one year since the Canada began welcoming Syrian refugees, offering safety and opportunity to families from the war-torn country.

In Manitoba, about 1,000 have settled in the province over the past 12 months.

On Saturday, Manitoba’s Syrian community said thank you. About 300 people gathered at the Freight House Community Centre to show how much the kindness has meant.

"It's good. We like Canada,” said 15-year-old Mohamad. “In Syria, you can’t go to school, learn, be something. I’d like to be in Canada, to be a teacher," said 16-year-old Zozan.

Children sang “O Canada”, food was shared, and dancing was performed as part of the thank-you celebration, put on by Aurora Family Therapy Centre, the Kurdish Association of Manitoba and the Syrian Community.

"In Canada, now we have a stable life. We have a good life where our kids can go to school, learn," said Ahmed, a father of six, who was privately sponsored by a group of people from Arborg.

“All of them have a good work ethic, and so they just bring the values our community already values,” said Peter Dueck who helped sponsor a family.

“They really want to be a part of the community. They want to do everything that is Canadian," said Trudy Dueck with the Interlake Refugee Support Network.

Organizations in Manitoba helping Syrian refugees settle are thankful too, because they say it’s rewarding to take part in the journey.

"It's been an incredible year. It's been a year of excitement. It's been a year of challenges, It’s been a year of opportunity," said Rita Chahal with the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council.

The council said overall settlement groups are well organized, but it’s has concerns about refugees finding employment and accessing English learning classes.

As part of Canada’s humanitarian commitment, Manitoba was expected to accept up to 2,000 Syrian refugees, beginning in January 2016.