South Frontenac, Wolfe Island group waiting for Syrian family to arrive

Jeff Green | Jan 27, 2016

A group of friends, mostly from South Frontenac, began talking on the phone and getting together back in September about the possibility of sponsoring a refugee family.

Talk turned to more talk, which led to a few meetings, some research, an alliance with a church in Kingston and a similar group of friends from Wolfe Island, and even more research. Eventually that initial group has become the 30-member Frontenac Refugee Support Committee (FRSC).

Five months later, everything is in place. A family of 12 is ready to come and live in a rented house in Kingston that is being furnished and supplied with everything they will need to get started. The location that was chosen is near education and language services.

“It has been quite a learning experience for us. We talked to Lifeline Syria, which is based in Toronto, at first. They told us it was a very complicated process, and recommended one of three ways of going about it, something that is called a blended visa process,” said Nancy Bayly, who lives in the Desert Lake area and is a member of the committee.

Under the process, the FSRC became affiliated with the First Baptist Church in Kingston, which has a long history of supporting refugees, and has agreed to act as the sponsoring body. The committee needs to raise about half of the money to support the family for one year and the Government of Canada will pay the other half.

It became clear early on that it would be best to settle the family in Kingston when they first arrive, because of proximity to services. The public school near the home that has been rented for the family has an Arabic club, and LCVI, which is close by, has an ESL (English as a Second Language) program.

“Eventually it may be they will want to relocate in the country,” said Bayly. “We have been told that the family has a background in farming, and the members of our group who are from Wolfe Island are aware of some possibilities for employment in farms on the island.”

The FSRC has also made use of the resources offered by ISKA (Immigrant Services of Kingston and Area) an affiliate of the Kingston Family Health Centres, which helps immigrant families navigate the bureaucratic systems in Canada, as well as with health and socialization.

About $24,000 has been raised, in addition to everything from bedding to winter clothing to kitchen utensils. It is anticipated that another $20,000 will need to be raised to cover all the costs.

A fundraising concert with the Shout Sister Choir is set for the First Baptist Church, 110 Sydenham Street, Kingston on February 21 at 2:30 pm. Events on Wolfe Island and in South Frontenac are being planned as well.

Bayly said that information from the government about the family and the timeframe for their arrival has been hard to come by.

“We know there are 12 in the family, and we know there are two parents and some children in their 20s as well as some younger children, and that they all have the same last name, but we have no further details. We know they have been through the approval process, and we have as well, but from what we have heard there is a bit of a bureaucratic bottleneck in Beirut, where the flights come from,” she said. “They could come at any time, and there may be little or no advance notice to us.”

She has heard from others that there have been cases where groups have not heard a thing until they got a call telling them the family is waiting at the airport, although a day or two's notice is more common.

There have been at least two families from Syria who have arrived in Kingston in recent weeks and months, in addition to the families from other parts of Africa. An Eritrean family, sponsored by parishioners from three Anglican churches, including St. Paul's in Sydenham, arrived in late October of last year and has also settled in Kingston.

For further information, contact Nancy Bayly at 613-572-1951, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or search for Frontenac Refugee Support Committee on facebook.