Inside Toronto dot com | Sep 29, 2011
Living in Canada is a dream come true for Kalsang Wangchuk and his wife, Tsamla.
Born in Tibet, Wangchuk escaped the country in 1959 following the Chinese invasion.
Wangchuk, along with thousands of other Tibetans and the Dalai Lama, fled to India to live in exile. Living in India for 49 years, Wangchuk’s wife gave birth to three children, making them Indian citizens. Indian citizenship was not something Wangchuk and Tsamla could obtain.
In 2009, Wangchuk and Tsamla arrived in Canada on refugee status and now call Parkdale home.
Wangchuk shared his story during the launch of a refugee exhibit at North York Central Library Tuesday, Sept. 27.
To support World Refugee Day activities, Citizenship and Immigration Canada created a travelling refugee exhibit featuring a series of photos and stories that highlight Canada’s long tradition of providing a safe haven to refugees.
The tour kicked off June 20, which marks World Refugee Day, in Ottawa and is now a travelling exhibit.
The exhibit will be housed on the library’s second floor until Friday, Oct. 7, when it heads to Winnipeg.
“Since our arrival, the government of Canada has given (us) assistance and refugee status,” Wangchuk told the crowd gathered for the launch, which was made up of adult English as a Second Language (ESL) students from Parkdale. “It’s a dream come true. On behalf of all Tibetan refugees, I would like to thank the people and government of Canada for your gracious assistance. I accept the fact that Canada is one of the best countries in the world, which respects the rule of law, freedom of expression and has a democratic constitution.”
Wangchuk, who has not seen his adult kids in almost three years, said they attend boarding school in India and hopes one day they will make Canada home.
Colin MacKay, of COSTI Immigrant Services, said the majority of clients the organization deals with are government assisted refugees brought into the country to resettle.
COSTI has assisted some 21,000 refugees over the last 22 years, MacKay said, adding the organization’s art therapy program for refugee children helps youngsters work through issues.
According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the country offers refugee protection to people in Canada who fear persecution or whose removal from Canada would subject them to a danger of torture, a risk to their life or a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment. In keeping with its humanitarian tradition and international obligations, Canada provides protection to thousands of people every year.
As of 2010, refugees from more than 140 countries were either resettled or were granted asylum in Canada.
Each year, Canada provides asylum to more than 10,000 persecuted persons and welcomes another 12,000 refugees from abroad.
