refugee

First sponsored Syrian refugee arrives in Salmon Arm

SHUSWAP - They’ve got houses, furniture, dentists, backpacks and pretty much everything else a newcomer might need, and now a group of volunteers working to sponsor Syrian refugee families finally has its first arrival. A young man in his 20s arrived in Salmon Arm a couple of days ago, Salmon Arm Refugee Coalition member Brian...

Refugee family from Syria set to arrive in Kamloops today

KAMLOOPS - One of the Syrian families moving to Kamloops will arrive today after successfully entering Canada as refugees. Refugees and Friends Together (RAFT), a group which helped sponsor four families through the United Church, will pick up the arriving group — a couple and their three children — from the airport today, Dec. 30,...

Kamloops residents ready to help Syrian refugees

KAMLOOPS - The Syrian refugees destined for Kamloops have not arrived just yet, but many locals are already offering support for when they do get here. Paul Lagace from Kamloops Immigrant Services witnessed the amount of support available when the society hosted a informative talk on Dec. 18 to educate locals about Syrian culture and...

Four Syrian families set to come to Kamloops area

KAMLOOPS - A local group started raising funds last month hoping to bring a Syrian family to Kamloops, but now their workload has increased substantially as they’ve signed on to assist four families moving to the area. Refugees and Friends Together, known as the RAFT group, began constructing a plan to bring a refugee family to...

Local agencies preparing for Syrian refugees, awaiting government direction

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - It's unknown how many Syrian refugees will be arriving in the souther Interior, but in the meantime, officials with the Immigrant Service Society of B.C. are looking for housing to place those escaping the conflict in the Middle East. Director of settlment services Chris Friesen says the are awaiting to receive further direction...

Church looking for donations, volunteers to help welcome refugee family to Vernon

VERNON - A local church is asking the community to help make a difference in the lives of those impacted by the global refugee crisis. Members of Trinity United Church were moved by the magnitude of the crisis and have decided to sponsor a family, representative Marilyn Erdmann says in a statement. “Members of the...

Money spent on refugees a hot topic at upcoming Kelowna immigration symposium

KELOWNA – The effects of immigration on the Okanagan will be a topic of discussion at an upcoming two-day symposium at Okanagan College and UBC Okanagan this weekend. The Immigration Symposium is a series of in-depth discussions about the impacts various Canadian policies have on immigrants, refugees and temporary foreign workers. It takes place Friday...

How one group plans to bring a Syrian family to Kamloops

KAMLOOPS - Community and church groups are banding together with hopes of bringing a Syrian family to Kamloops in the wake of the refugee crisis. On Sept. 29, a group known as RAFT — Refugees and Friends Together — will outline their plan and provide information for those who want to help one Syrian family...

Okanagan church group spends $60k to bring family from Syria

KELOWNA – Three local churches who spent $60,000 to bring a family from to Kelowna from Syria this summer are raising funds to bring even more refugees from the civil war-torn country. For 30 years the Central Okanagan Refugee Committee have rescued families and individuals from countries afflicted with famine, wars and disease. Six months...