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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 18

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 15, 2021 02:00PM
Context: House Hansard - 18 - Dec/15/21
Ms. Julie Dzerowicz (Davenport, Lib.)
  • Dec/15/21 2:17:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise in the House today to highlight the incredible work being done by COSTI Immigrant Services in my riding of Davenport. Over the past few months, it has been helping to settle 1,600 Afghan refugees. In addition to helping them find housing, employment, language training and mental health supports, COSTI has been matching Afghan families with Canadian Afghan war veterans from across the Greater Toronto Area. I want to thank executive director Mario Calla and director of refugee services Nawal Al-Busaidi for their leadership, and a huge thanks to their entire team for their around-the-clock support and tireless work. Mario recently related to me that one of the refugees told him that one of his greatest joys in coming here was watching his children play freely outside. He explained that in Kabul children were not allowed outdoors for fear of kidnapping. As we approach the holiday season and face a fifth wave of COVID, let us remind ourselves how blessed we are to live in a prosperous, free and democratic country, one where we have the resources and privilege to continue to welcome refugees, who help make Canada one of the best countries in the world in which to live.
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