Country of Origin: Syrian Arab Republic

Edy and his family were on the first flight from Beirut to Toronto, as part of the Canadian government’s tremendous commitment to resettle 25,000 refugees from Syria.

“The day I heard I had permission to move to Canada, I applied to three universities. I wasn’t able to go to university in Syria because of the war."

"A Lebanese man contacted my family one day and told us about the Canadian resettlement plan. He was a refugee once himself and had come to Canada during the Lebanese Civil War. He wanted to do whatever he could to help us, so he got money to sponsor our resettlement to Canada."

"In Canada, they have a real democracy. The people wanted to accept Syrian migrants and now it’s happening."

"I’ve been studying violin for six years, but had to stop because of the war and the difficulties in moving around so much. Once I’m settled in Canada, I hope to continue my studies and my violin lessons, but the thing I look forward to the most is being able to express myself freely and have people listen."

"I did all the research I could on my new home in Toronto. My family and I worked hard to come to Canada and we meet the criteria for eligibility, but I see myself more as a migrant because it’s not just about running away from war. It’s about becoming Canadian, and starting a new life with a real future.”