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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-12-16, Page 44 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, December 16, 2015 • www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com point of view Canada should build our resettlement skill Even if Canada manages to resettle 25,000 Syrian refu- gees by the new year, the scope of the problem demands we do much more. A one-time gesture, as cru- cial as it is for those 25,000 human beings, will be an empty legacy. Human decency demands a funda- mental, even a cultural, shift in our national approach to refugee resettlement. There are, according to UNHCR, more than 4.2 mil- lion registered Syrian refu- gees in neighbouring letters to the editor Dear Editor: We wish to thank the com- munity for their participation in the St. Nick's Christmas Shopping Day for Children at St. Thomas' Anglican Church in Seaforth on December 5, 2015. The children's smiles and excitement are the best gifts of all! 140 children shopped for their families, 35 countries. It's a staggering number, and Canada's extra 25,000 will barely dent it. The fact that Canada has been so divided about the Liberal's rush project is tell- ing. Some of it comes down to reasonable apprehen- sion about a system that has undergone several bureaucratic changes over the last several years. It is fair to ask the fledgling gov- ernment for reassurance that Canada is equipped for its project. The govern- ment's task over the next helpers from across our com- munity assisted and approxi- mately 900 gifts were availa- ble to choose from, hand-crafted, donated or pur- chased through the generos- ity of dozens of people! Thanks to your support -as shoppers, volunteers, silent auction supporters and gift givers - $2,400 was raised to HAVE AN OPINION? The Huron Expositor welcomes letters to the editor. They must be signed and accompanied by a phone number for information clarification. Itis important to note, letters will not be printed without the author's name attached. All letters are subjectto editing due to possible space restriction. Letters can be dropped off at the office, mailed or emailed: The Huron Expositor 8 Main St. P.O. Box 69 Seaforth, ON NOK 1W0 Shaun.Gregory@sunmedia.ca 11 www.seaforth huronexpositor.com few weeks is not only to bring thousands of refugees here, safely, but to tell Canadians how the system can work to accommodate the government's immedi- ate goals, and how it could work better on an ongoing basis. The more engaged our communities are, the more successful resettle- ment programs will be. Most refugees, once they have fled over a border, are waiting to go home. But third -country resettlement is the best option for many be shared between the com- munities of Seaforth & Clin- ton to support children's pro- grams and activities. Mark your calendars as we are sponsoring free swimming at Vanastra Rec Centre on December 22 & 29; free public skating ses- sions during March break at both Seaforth and Clinton BREATHE THROUGH A STRAW FOR 60 SECONDS. When your lungs are killing you, that's cystic fibrosis. To learn more and support cystic fibrosis research, visit cysticfibrosis.ca • �� Cystic Fibrosis Canada Breathing life into the future' refugees whose countries of origin are not likely to be safe in the foreseeable future, and whose countries of asylum are also unsafe, or cannot or will not integrate them. The UNHCR predicts that more than 1.2 million people (or eight per cent of the total refugee population) will fall into that category in 2016. This is a record high number. But there are only about 80,000 resettlement places available, in about arenas- dates and times to be announced; and will help fund children's programs at both Seaforth and Clinton libraries during March Break. Also the parent councils of Seaforth Public and Clinton Public Schools will receive some funds for their current projects. Watch for updates on Facebook and 30 resettlement countries. Canada generally accounts for about 10 per cent of those spots. We're doing well rela- tive to our peers. But we're doing abysmally, relative to the scope of the problem. We can pat ourselves on the back, or we can pull up our socks. It's up to us to define for the history books which one is the Canadian way. In countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and Congo, among others, there are registered refugees who will live out their lives in community TV channels and newsletters. Thanks to all for making this worthwhile event possible in our community. We hope you will consider participating again next year through donating time as an elf, creating or assembling gift items or donating money for the purchase of gifts. On behalf of the church camps or similar situations because no country is offer- ing them a home and a chance. This is the legacy Canada can build. We can get bogged down in a false argument between security and humanitarianism, con- nected to the narrow ques- tion of how many Syrians should come in how many weeks. Or we can use this project as the foundation to become the undisputed world leader in refugee resettlement. families of the Parish of the Holy Spirit -the Anglican Churches in Seaforth & Clinton - we wish you a very Merry Christmas and bless- ings in the coming new year. St. Nick's Christmas Shopping Day Coordinators, Helen Southgate Oldfield & Betty Burns Seaforth residents change lives Dear editor, Huron Expositor readers might be interested to know just how generous Ontario is (spoiler alert, the answer is very)! Last year Ontarians pur- chased 24,000 essential items from the World Vision Gift Catalogue - tangible donations for children and families in developing coun- tries like livestock, clean water, access to education and medical supplies. This shows the value people have to help others, especially over the holiday season. Charitable gifts, a dona- tion you make is someone's name and give them as a gift, is an increasingly pop- ular holiday tradition - and a great way to honour the big-hearted person on your gift list. • Provincially, more than 23,000 people from Ontario gave to the gift catalogue • And in Seaforth, 12 people gave $2300 worth of life changing items • A recent survey by Ipsos Reid shows that resi- dents of Ontario prefer to give a meaningful gift that would help someone in need (75%) Every gift from the cata- logue will change a life, so you can choose the present that's most meaningful for you, and the person you're giving it to, knowing it will meet a critical need in places where World Vision works. Useful resources as you plan holiday stories for Huron Expositor: • Interviews: We can arrange an interview with our World Vision Gift Expert, to speak about the impact that people in Seaforth are having in the world. • Holiday giving survey results: A survey conducted by Ipsos Reid in October 2015, investigates Canadians attitudes towards charitable and gift giving. 67% of people from ON prefer to receive a gift that helps someone in need. For more poll results please contact us. • Visit the World Vision Gifts Newsroom (worldvi- siongiftsnews.com) for easy access to additional info, photos, video and stories. Sincerely, Kristian Foster if it's local, it's here seaforthhuronexpositor.com