Thousands at Welcome Hall Mission to see Santa
Thousands get gifts from Santa at Welcome Hall Mission event
Just a few months back, “George” was running for his life. In western Nigeria, his wife, four children and the couple’s unborn daughter faced death threats over George’s opposition to female genital mutilation. Rather than hand over his little girl to be maimed, George tried moving to Nigeria’s northern region. But their new home was awash in sectarian violence that erupted between Muslims and Christians, leaving the family with one last option: to flee their homeland, entering Canada as asylum seekers. On Saturday, after months of sacrifice, George brought his family to the Welcome Hall Mission to meet Santa Claus and open a few gifts. “We feel we are Canadians today, and we are proud to be,” said George, who did not want his real name published. “After what we have been through, to finally be welcomed and be safe, it’s a wonderful time for us.” More than 6,000 underprivileged families gathered in the southwest Montreal mission Saturday to take in the holiday spirit. For some kids, this will be the only present they get this Christmas. Of the 18,000 people who regularly use the mission’s services, about 6,300 are asylum seekers like George and his family. “For many of them, this is their first experience of Christmas in Canada,” said Samuel Watts, chief executive officer of the Welcome Hall Mission. “They have come here to get away from these traumatic experiences, and you see them and you can’t help but admire their courage. “They left everything behind, sometimes as recently as just a few months ago, and they need a little help. It’s not just Christmas, it’s helping people start over, find jobs, build a life.” One mother wore a hijab and held her daughter’s hand as they lined up for a photo with Saint Nick. She isn’t Christian, but says she wants her children to make new friends and be part of something festive in their new home. David Lametti, the Liberal MP for LaSalle-Émard-Verdun, stood at the mission’s door handing out balloons to children as they left. “You come here, you spend a few hours and see the smiles on kids’ faces, and it really starts the Christmas season on the right foot,” Lametti said. “I’m a public servant; these are the people I serve. My family came from Italy after the war, and these are people doing the same thing. It’s heartwarming.” The Welcome Hall Mission relies almost entirely on fundraising, and the holiday season provides an influx of cash that keeps it going well into the new year. “At least 50 per cent of our (annual) funding comes in November and December,” Watts said. “For us, the cost isn’t so much the food itself — it’s heating our buildings, delivering the food in trucks, storing it in a refrigerated warehouse. “Donations keep that big machine running.” Years before he left Nigeria, George lost a daughter to an infection she sustained while being circumcised. It made him an advocate against the practice, but his efforts put his family in grave danger. When he found out this year that his wife was pregnant with a girl, he felt he had no choice but to flee. “It was hard to leave, but what could I do?” he said. “There are days when I miss home, but today is a good day. Today we feel like we’re home.”