Syrian refugees: Leamington welcomes first 24 newcomers

The cultural mix in Leamington,better known for its migrant workers from Jamaica and Mexico,now includes threefamilies of Syrian refugees. They are part of a major influx of 125 Syrian refugees expected within the year.

It's been a long journey for the Halil family,but theynow have a place to call home, 9,400 km from Aleppo, Syria.

"We weren't expecting to come here but it was a nice, pleasant surprise to be in Canada, in Leamington specifically, because it's very beautiful," said FatmaHalil, mother of four.

Her husband, AbdulrazzakHalil, says safety is key.

"The kids are very happy. They are in school. They are making friendsand being safe is a huge difference to us," he said.

They rely heavilyon the New Canadians' Centre of Excellence'sresettlement assistance program for support.

Unlike Windsor, and mostCanadian cities, the agency says housing isn't an issue in Leamington.

"We haven't had a challenge, yet, so far, thank God," program lead Rima Nohra said. "We're very blessed that way. The landlords are very accommodating and they're welcoming. Even the large family will be OK,will be set, the family of 10 will have a house soon, too."

Thefamily of 10 arrived earlier this month.

"We suffered, we suffered a lot. We went to Lebanon and then Turkey and you guys brought us here and you eliminated our suffering," said Khaled Kufafi.

His kids have missed school for the last five years and 15-year-old GharamKufaniis is just happy she doesn't have to live in a refugee camp anymore.

"We felt humiliated. Even kids had to work. It was a horrible experience."

In Turkey, the Kufafis met the Alacatiys,who were also waiting to come to Canada.While they all still struggle with English, the newcomers say they're starting to feel at home.

"I'm very thankful to everybody here because they make us feel so welcome. They talk to us and they don't look at us that we're different or we're strangers," said AbdullahAlacatiy.

Leamington Mayor John Paterson isn't surprised his town has rolled out the welcome mat.

"Ithink it's wonderful. Outside of Toronto, per capita,Leamington is the most culturally diverse municipality in Ontario. Alot of people don't know that but we have pretty much everything here in this town," he said.