Rideau Park United Church

Ecumenical Refugee Committee

Over the past couple of weeks there has been considerable press coverage about the 25^th Anniversary of Project 4000.

In 1979, Vietnamese who had held government positions in the previous government or who had attained some wealth were literally being forced out of the country by the communist government. There were many stories at the time of people trying to leave Vietnam and having to pay exorbitant sums to get passage on rickety boats that were then attacked by pirates. If they did manage to reach relative safety in Hong Kong, Thailand or other places, they were forced into refugee camps where the living conditions were less than adequate.

The plight of these boat people touched many, and the City of Ottawa decided to accept 4000. Eventually, many other communities in Canada also accepted them. Rideau Park, among many other churches and groups, agreed to accept and assist a family. Marilyn and Bob Bailey, Catherine and Bob Elliott, Evelyn Henderson, Bas and Helen Groeneweg and Malcolm Bayne welcomed the Trinh family to Ottawa. They were a family of 12, consisting of grandparents, parents and grandchildren. Accommodation was found for them, and the children were enrolled in school. The Committee then began to show them the mundane things of life, like how to use a stove and washing machine. They showed them how to shop at our big modern stores and generally assisted them in all the many other things new families to Canada must learn and become accustomed to. As well, they watched them prosper. The children did well in school, completed high school and then university. Eventually the Trinh family themselves sponsored a sister and her husband and their eight children who were still in a refugee camp. All those children attended university and are now successful contributing members of our community.

Last night, at the Plant Centre on Somerset Street West, hundreds of Vietnamese refugees and sponsoring families met for dinner and entertainment to celebrate the anniversary of their arrival in Canada. Two of our sponsoring families were also in attendance.

Rideau Park sponsored several other families over the years, under the leadership of Evelyn Henderson. When she retired, I took over, along with Ray Presley and the late Jean Gale, and since 1995 we have worked with four other churches in the area. As a result of that partnership we have sponsored four families through the government-assisted programme. You, here at Rideau Park, have listened to me talk about the Ecumenical Refugee Committee many times when we are having a concert or other fund-raising event and you have always been very supportive.

All four of our families are doing very well. The parents have jobs and the children are doing well in school; this includes the family we brought in last summer. We have also sponsored three individuals to come to Canada who had family members here. In all three cases, the family members took on the responsibility of looking after them.

I probably should point out that in the media you hear about refugees who arrive at an airport or border crossing and claim refugee status. They then have a long legal process to go through and occasionally have taken sanctuary in a church. Except for the recent media attention with regard to the Vietnamese, I am not sure that the media have ever reported on the success stories. The families we have supported were declared refugees by the United Nations long before they come to Canada. They lived in various refugee camps, and Canada agreed to accept them provided they could find a sponsor. As a result, when they arrived in Canada they were here legally and there was no need for the courts to be involved.

Working with these people is gratifying and very worthwhile. I think we learn as much as the new family to Canada. They arrive with the same hopes and dreams we take for granted. They have often undergone difficulties we cannot imagine. Once here, they only want to make a new life for themselves and their children. There are, of course, difficulties but so far we have been able to help them overcome those problems.

I am often contacted by other churches and groups about sponsoring families and I always encourage them to do so. The Ecumenical Refugee Committee is again beginning to think about bringing in another family, so be prepared to hear from me again along with Ray Presley, Sandra Weedmark and Cindy Wade.