Learning French and getting to know neighbours

Syrian refugees living in Aylmer and Hull share stories, watch a French movie

In 2016, 275 Syrian refugees entered Quebec and now live in the Aylmer and Hull areas of Gatineau. The majority of the refugees are government sponsored and it is compulsory to take French language classes. The classes are 30 hours a week for 44 weeks.

 

An event was held January 14 at Cinema Aylmer as an opportunity for Syrian refugees to see a French movie, some for the first time. A few families have been in Canada for a year and other families arrived in Canada within the last month.

The day at the movies was well-attended and organized by Jacques Laberge, the Gatineau community and volunteers from the mosques in Aylmer and Hull.  Staff at the Mayor of Gatineau’s office were involved in this event by preparing and briefing the Mayor, and in writing his speech and connecting with a translator, since the event was bilingual French-Arabic.

Mr Laberge shared that the Syrian families are people of goodwill who are very appreciative of the support they receive. “They make a lot of effort, they are curious and want to learn,” he said. Laberge and other volunteers visit the families on a regular basis to converse in French. He mentioned that the families need more opportunities to practice their French.

 

The Al Hamad family story

 

This family used to live in Homs, Syria, the third-largest city in Syria, after Damascus and Aleppo.

Hamza Al Hamad was a taxi driver in Syria. Four years ago, the Al Hamad house was bombed and Hamza and his wife decided that it was no longer safe to stay in Homs. The family fled to Lebanon where they stayed for four years. 

They arrived in Gatineau in July 2016. The father and mother started with the French learning program at the CEGEP de L'Outaouais at the end of August. They work hard and are progressing well in French. In July and August, Mr Laberge visited them twice a week to give French lessons prior to them starting the classes at the CEGEP. Their 4-year old attends a daycare centre near the CEGEP and the two oldest kids are enrolled in a special class for immigrant and refugee children to learn French and study the regular curriculum. They will most likely spend one year in that special class before moving to a regular class and then join other children of their age who have French as their mother tongue.

The Al Hamad family expressed how happy they feel to be here and how thankful they are to the people of Gatineau for their support.