In the evening of Thursday, December 10th, 163 Syrian refugees were welcomed into Canada with open arms. Our new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier Kathleen Wynne were both at the Toronto Pearson airport to greet the refugees and give them welcome packages.

After hearing about all the horrors that the citizens of Syria have had to endure, it made me so happy to see pictures of kids smiling and laughing. The children and families have been given an opportunity to get a job, make money and live a life filled with freedom that their parents couldn’t have imagined. As Justin said, “They step off the plane as refugees, but they walk out of this terminal as permanent residents of Canada with social insurance numbers, with health cards and with an opportunity to become full Canadians.”

Today, I felt very proud to be a Canadian after reading all of the heartwarming messages people have been sending.  THIS is what Canada is all about – hospitality, kindness, and equality.

Dear refugees, I personally welcome you all into the country I have called home for my entire life. I hope you will soon be able to call it home too.

Welcome to Canada, my country is now yours.

Thanks for joining me on my journey to change the world!

-Diviya