War has left a mark in Canada, but ongoing peace remarkable in a war-torn world
Most people born in Canada have little firsthand contact with war. Canadians have been extraordinarily fortunate, in not having a war fought on our soil for more than 200 years. Many immigrants and new Canadians, on the other hand, have had vastly different experiences. War may not be ever-present in all parts of the world, but it is far more likely to have had more of an immediate effect on peoples’ lives in many other countries. Nowhere is this more true right now than in Syria, where millions of people have been displaced. Many of them are in neighbouring countries, with a smaller number trying to find better lives in Europe. Some of them lose their lives crossing waterways in overcrowded boats, but they are willing to take the risk. The new federal government is working hard to try and get 25,000 of them to resettle in Canada, but it’s a monumental effort that involves many layers of bureaucracy. It’s an appropriate time to think about how we as Canadians can help peopl...