With more than 7 million people displaced and over 4 million refugees, the civil war and terrorist activities in Syria have resulted in the largest single humanitarian crisis since World War II.

Canadians have responded to this crisis with great compassion. This is a national project that needs to engage all Canadians in welcoming and integrating the Syrian refugee population into our country.

Arif Virani, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ian McBride, from the Anglican United Refugee Alliance, and Alexandra Kotyk, Lifeline Syria, joined me to help inform and engage our community to ensure this great humanitarian effort is successful.

Thank you to everyone who joined us this past Sunday at the Hodgson Public School outdoor rink for a fun, family-friendly afternoon at our annual Don Valley West & Toronto – St. Paul’s skating party. An incredible turnout and a great day for a skate on a beautiful rink, it was a mild day, but just cold enough to warm-up with hot chocolate. We are excited to make this an annual event, so make sure to get your skates sharpened for next year.