And the award for ‘least funded’ goes to . . .
Advocacy group presents mock prize in response to TTC being named transit agency of the year
Members of an advocacy group descended on city hall Thursday to present the TTC with a mock award for being the “least funded” public transit system on the continent.
The stunt was in response to the announcement, made Monday by TTC CEO Andy Byford, that the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) had named the TTC its transit agency of the year.
The APTA award provoked incredulous reactions from many Toronto transit users, who complained that their daily experience of overcrowded vehicles and frequently delayed service leaves much to be desired.
“We would love for the TTC to be the best transit system in North America, but quite frankly it’s not,” said Jessica Bell, the executive director of TTCriders.
“And the main reason why is because our elected officials are not properly funding the TTC.”
Bell also recently secured the Ontario NDP nomination for University-Rosedale.
The project has so far brought 12 people to Canada. With continuing requests to bring more than 40 additional refugees from the Yazidi community, project manager Debbie Rose estimates Mozuud will need to raise at least $750,000. To date, the organization has raised about $100,000.
The Mado family had been separated for two years after Saadi Mado, his brother Samir and sister Saada, escaped persecution and settled in Richmond Hill as they waited for their parents and other siblings.
Born in Iraq, Saadi Mado fled to Turkey to escape the persecution of Yazidis in Iraq.
“It was a horrible feeling because you don’t know when you’re going to be killed or if they’re going to come and capture your family,” Saadi Mado said in an interview in January. “They take women, girls, kids and they sell people.”
“It was a horrible situation they passed through. I passed through the same situation,” he said, recalling having to live in refugee camps with no protection or rights because of his religion.
Having his parents back in his life is a “huge feeling” for Saadi.
“It was two years, I didn’t see them,” he said. “I enjoy all my time with them. My mom is my second part of my life. She helped me a lot because I’m working full time and I’m studying full time now and she prepares everything for me.”
On Wednesday, Saadi graduated as an adult student from the York Region District School Board’s continuing education program, having completed his high school requirements. It’s a path he hopes his older brother Waleed, 29, will soon follow.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get my graduation back home,” said Saadi, who works as an associate at a Home Depot warehouse. “Now, I come here and I afford everything and I face anything. We never give up.”
The Yazidis are an ancient people who have been the victim of many jihads, according to the Mozuud foundation. The most recent attacks they have suffered have come at the hands of Daesh, which practises an ultra-conservative form of Islam that doesn’t recognize Yazidis as coreligionists. The Trudeau government announced in February it planned to bring in 1,200 refugees, most of them Yazidis, by year end, an initiative costing about $28 million. It also committed to facilitating private sponsorship of Yazidi refugees, such as those arriving through Project Abraham like the Mado family.
Jasim and Marjan say they’ve fallen in love with Canada’s weather, parks and nature, noting the many types of trees they’d never seen before arriving.
“We feel Canada is our own country,” Jasim said. “We have our permanent residence. We have everything covered. We thank Canada’s government. We appreciate that we are refugees here. We thank all Canadians, because they are kind to refugees and newcomers.”
They’re looking forward to their first Canada Day, as the celebration will be doubly special; not only will they be spending Canada’s 150th birthday at Niagara Falls, but they’ll also be celebrating Jasim’s 55th birthday on July 1.
The family still faces many challenges adjusting to life in Canada, most notably, learning the language.
Jasim said he figures he could work as a cashier once his English is better. In Iraq, he owned and managed a supermarket for two decades before teaching in an elementary school for 11 years.