Refugees star in, benefit from singer’s music video
Newcomers from Syria thrilled at reception; cold air — not so much
Abdulrahman Chehadeh will always remember the day he arrived in Saskatoon.
“January 1, 2016. I love this date,” Chehadeh said with a smile.
Originally from the Syrian city of Hama, he was one of thousands of refugees brought to Canada over the past few months.
Chehadeh speaks some English — he learned it in high school more than 20 years ago — but plans to work on it for a few more months before trying to find work.
He said he is beginning to feel at home, thanks partially to how welcoming the community has been.
“We like the city. Everyone, the people of Saskatoon, they smile at us,” he said.
Now a local family has launched a campaign they hope will help other Syrian refugees coming to Canada.
Elly Thorn, a Saskatoon singersongwriter originally from Saltcoats, held a launch event for her music video You Didn’t Even Know Me on Friday morning. The video features some of the refugees who have come to Saskatoon.
Thorn plans to donate any proceeds from downloads of the song to the Red Cross and Red Crescent. In addition, her father-in-law, Karim Nasser, promised Friday to match her contributions up to $100,000. Nasser also made a $10,000 donation to the Saskatoon Open Door Society and the Global Gathering Place to help their efforts to settle refugees.
About 100 people attended the launch event, including mayor Don Atchison, local MLA Ken Cheveldayoff, Saskatoon Tribal Council chief Felix Thomas and several families of recent refugees.
Chehadeh said it was great to see the community come out to support the cause.
“Fantastic. Beautiful. Thanks to everyone. This place, this day. Beautiful,” he said.
Khaled Laban, who appears in the music video, got his first look at the finished product at the event.
“It was really great to see ourselves,” he said through a translator.
Laban, who used to live in Idlib, Syria, was proudly displaying a ‘Saskatoon Shines’ pin given to him by the mayor. He called it “an honour” to be involved in the event.
“The people of Saskatoon are very kind,” Laban said.
Locals have made him and his family feel welcome — now they just need to adapt to the temperatures, he said.
“We’re really happy. It’s great, and we’re beginning to resettle. It’s just the weather that needs getting used to.”