Doctor touched by 'breathtaking' Gander arrival of Syrian refugees

A doctor working part-time in Gander had an unexpected and emotional moment at the town's airport in the early morning hours of Aug. 12, as he found himself in the midst of a large gathering to welcome the second Syrian refugee family to the community.

Hassan Masri commutes on a part-time basis from his home in Saskatchewan, and stepped onto the Gander tarmac at 2 a.m. to what he called an "exceptional scene."

"The moment I walked into the terminal I realized there's something completely different this time — the airport was packed full," Masri.

He discovered that the dozens of children, flag-waving adults and welcoming posters were all there awaiting the refugees, some of them already in tears.

"I didn't pay attention to my luggage at this point," he said, adding he instead took out his phone to document the moment.

"The first thing we saw was their little child come out … he was stunned to see all these people in two in the morning," Masri said, adding the waiting children rushed towards the boy in welcome, as the rest of the family appeared and began to cry.

"You could see them saying 'Thank you, thank you,'" he told CBC Radio's Central Morning Show.

"It was a beautiful Canadian scene here in Gander. It was breathtaking."

Understanding the refugee experience

The generosity and welcoming held a deeper meaning for Masri, whose own parents arrived in Canada from Syria about 20 years ago.

"For me, it was very heartwarming and very special," Masri said of witnessing the moment, which reminded him of the sense of belonging he feels Canadians have always made for his family.

"We feel that we weren't forced on anybody, people truly welcomed us. And so now it's time for us to pay back and contribute."

For his part, Masri has volunteered in a Syrian field hospital and now makes the commute to Gander to help with a doctor shortage in the community.

"Here, I'm helping Gander. And here Gander is helping people of the same heritage as me."

Masri hopes the new family settles in and will absorb some of their new community's welcoming attitude.

• How Gander's support of Syrian refugees is part of a long tradition

"I suspect that this Canadian-Syrian family, in many many years from now, will also be at Gander's airport, welcoming other refugees from other parts of the world, and showing them the Gander generosity."