Vancouver, welcome refugees Rally
Thousands have turned out in Downtown Vancouver to lend their voices to world-wide calls of support for Syrian refugees fleeing the crisis in their homeland.
The Syrian refugee crisis became personal for many last week when a moving photograph of a drowned Syrian boy face down in the sand of a Turkish beach circulated on social media.
On Sunday, the Pope pledged that each parish in the Vatican would take in a refugee family and called on European Catholic parishes and other religious institutions to do the same. Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said last week the government has already resettled nearly 2,300 Syrians and 22,000 Iraqis and has further plans to accept 23,000 Iraqi and 11,300 Syrian refugees.
The rally in Vancouver is one of several happening across the country this weekend.