Wes Denyer: Family and Furniture Housewares

wes denyer: They thought the family they had been matched with would arrive last winter, according to CBC. Over the past year, the group has been working to lay the groundwork for the family arrival, communicating with them in Jordan and their relatives in Toronto, collecting furniture and housewares, and even buying toys for the family two young children. "What going to be told to them Are they going to be told that this group that they've been in touch with has dropped them in favour of another family " asked Denyer. But last week, the committee received news that the family they had been matched with may never make it to Canada. and they can ask for a "replacement" refugee family instead. "It genuinely heart-wrenching for many of the people," said Wes Denyer, minister of the Rosedale Presbyterian church, the lead church in the committee. "People feel attachment and loyalty to this family that we've been expecting for eight or nine months." Kirk and Claire Dunn, Sheila Rennie and Mark McElwain are among the members of the Tri-Church Syrian Refugee Sponsorship Committee. Bad choice to put on people, group says A statement by the refugee advocacy group Canada4Refugees called Ottawa offer "discouraging." "It indicates the unwillingness of the government to take the action needed to ensure that families are processed quickly." Group spokesman Doug Earl said it was a bad choice to put on people, "especially considering we should be finding a way to bring all of these people in." "What are you supposed to do Consign a family to long-term limbo on the refugee list " The government replacement offer only applies to families on the Blended Visa Office-Referred list — for which the government and private sponsors split the costs. The government says delayed BVOR families who are replaced by other families will be able to enter the country as government-assisted refugees once they are approved. About 140 BVOR Syrians have been delayed since March, including the family that the Tri-Church committee is awaiting. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.