It’s been six years since Bassam Antoun and his family fled the city of Zabadani in Syria, after bombs destroyed their home, business and neighbourhood.
Rosaline Antoun, aged 16, said they had a good life, surrounded by soaring peaks and lush green valleys, before the war tore apart the city and they escaped with their lives to Damascus.
“It’s very hard to see what has happened to Syria. We left all our friends and family behind, but it is better to leave because of all the bombing,” she said.
“Only a few days ago I heard that there was a bomb in my school there, and 12 of my friends were injured, one died. My other friend had her leg (amputated) by the doctor as a result of her injury. This could have been us if we stayed.”
The family of five was not in Damascus for long before they packed up their belongings and relocated across the border to Lebanon. After a year in Lebanon, they made the journey to Charlottetown, on Dec. 19, 2017.
At the airport they were reunited with Antoun’s brother, Salim.
Salim also fled Syria at the same time as his brother, and immigrated to P.E.I. a number of years ago.
“It’s very cold in the winter here, but we’re getting used to it,” said Rosaline, who is settling into Grade 12 at Kinkora Regional High School.
“Everyone is very nice, and we are happy to be here.”
On Saturday, people poured into Bedeque United Church to warmly and officially welcome Bassam and his family to P.E.I.
"If it had been another couple of weeks they could have been killed in that bombing. And it must be extremely difficult for them, because it’s just by luck that we met the family and had the money to sponsor them here."
-Randall Affleck
Randall Affleck, chairman of the Bedeque and Area Newcomers Relocation Committee, said it’s been a long process, but the family is adjusting well to its new home.
“It all started two years ago when a lot of the Syrian refugee crisis was in the news, and people were coming across the Mediterranean in boats. Canada made the commitment to bring in 25,000 refugees from Syria, so a group of us in Bedeque thought there was no reason why we couldn’t help,” said Affleck.
The group raised $30,000 to sponsor the family.
“We did a community sponsorship, which I think is a newer process with immigration, and the Antoun family went through all the medical and security checks in Lebanon. It was just a waiting game more than anything,” said Affleck.
“This meet and greet, hosted by the Bedeque Area Newcomers Relocation Committee, is a chance for community members to welcome the Antoun family into the community.”
The old church hall came alive with traditional Syrian music performed on trumpets by 14-year-old twins Nathalie and Remi, and older sister Rosaline on snare drum.
Affleck acknowledged that people in the area are not new to this type of initiative.
“In the ‘40s we welcomed a Japanese family displaced after the war, and again in the ‘70s we sponsored people from Vietnam.”
Amid the coffee, cake and laughter was a haunting picture display from the Zabadani area that showcased the city, once alive with vendors and restaurants, now shattered.
“The reality is that they had a good life before the war, with a nice backyard and house,” said Affleck.
“Now it’s total devastation… If it had been another couple of weeks they could have been killed in that bombing," said Affleck. "And it must be extremely difficult for them, because it’s just by luck that we met the family and had the money to sponsor them here."
