2 Friday, May 5, 2017 brooklintowncrier.com Less than Half the Picture By Richard Bercuson A New Canadian Family's Joy How would you define joy? Happiness? Relief? Freedom? Would you live in a place where you must carry documentation at all times in case you were stopped by an official? How might you cope with committing a minor traffic violation that leads to your being expelled from the country? Have you visited or lived in a place where the dominant emotion is fear? This is not the fear from being high up on a roller coaster or watching a horror film. It's the guttural fear of doing something wrong, however minor, like running a stop sign, or of blurting out a comment within earshot of someone who shouldn't hear it. Free everywhere Then, with the help of strangers, you find a way out, to a place you almost can't believe exists. You can walk freely anywhere. The police are not the enemy. You're no longer a second class citizen without rights but rather a full and equal partner in society. As for the area where you initially lived, it is now rubble. In this new country, rubble is merely the name of a children's television cartoon character. Such is the story of what I'll refer to as the "Y" family from Damascus. We cannot use their last name nor a photograph for fear of retribution to relatives left behind. Their neighbourhood exists in name only, levelled during the Syrian conflict, leaving them with no place to live after returning from Kuwait where the father, Mahmoud, worked in the telecom industry. It took nearly 16 months of government vetting and various carefully laid out procedures for him, his wife Hanadi and daughter Fajer to finally make it to Canada, to Whitby, and ultimately to Grass Park on April 22 to celebrate the colours and cultures of, well, freedom. The Lifeline The Ys have five children: Taha, Mohamed, Khalil, Fajer, and Abdul. The eldest three, Taha, Mohamed and Khalil, have all been here since 2012 as students. Mahmoud and Hanadi were in Canada for a brief time in 2000 but when his work visa expired, they had to return to Syria. Mahmoud got work in Kuwait but it had no future. Getting them to Canada permanently was a process the sons started in 2012. With the extensive help of an organization called Lifeline Syria (lifelinesyria. ca) that included sponsorship from 29 local people, the Y family now lives in Whitby. All but Hanadi speak excellent English, a result of their private school education in Damascus. As such, they are able to share in one thing that seems to transcend borders: humour. When Mahmoud hears I'm from Montreal and speak French, he blurts, "Mon amour!" I feign recoiling and he bursts out laughing before adding, "Je t'aime!" The entire family joins in the joke and howls. They laugh and smile a lot these days. With good reason, n'est-ce pas? "Proud to be a Brooklinite" Founded in 2000 • Published 24 times annually Editor, Richard Bercuson 613-769-8629 • editorofbtc@gmail.com Locally owned and operated. A publication of Appletree Graphic Design Inc. We accept advertising in good faith but do not endorse advertisers nor advertisements. All editorial submissions are subject to editing. For advertising information, contact: 905-655-7642 Email: yeswomanbrooklin@gmail.com Next Issue: Friday, May 26, 2017 Deadline: Friday, May 19, 2017 Letter to the Editor: Time to halt bullying Not a week goes by in Canadian high schools where bullying does not occur. Bullying affects the majority of high school students. According to the National Centre for Educational Statistics, 1 in 5 students have claimed to have been either verbally, physically, sexually or mentally harassed by their peers. As students in an Ontario high school, we have both been victims of, and have witnessed bullying first-hand. In a country that is supposed to be open-minded and welcoming, why do people always avoid such a serious matter? This has been an ongoing problem since the beginning of the Canadian school system and it has yet to be fixed. We believe that it is the government's responsibility to enforce stricter policies when it comes to school bullying and prevention. If the curriculum for both public and catholic schools consist with educating young students about the affects of bullying, it could be eradicated before someone gets hurt or hurts another. It's time to put bullying to a halt once and for all in order to save more children from having to go through peer victimization. It is our hope that the government begins to prioritize students who are struggling with bullying. - Bronte Dowse & Kariann Charlemagne, Brooklin