There are moments in an organization’s history when the work changes overnight.
For ISSofBC, one of those moments came during Operation Syrian Refugee, Canada’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis from 2015 to 2017.
As the crisis unfolded, Canadians asked what they could do to help. In British Columbia, that question quickly became urgent. Families arrived after years of displacement, and governments, refugee settlement organizations in Canada, community groups, volunteers, and residents worked together to respond.
For ISSofBC, the response began with a public call for housing, job opportunities, volunteers, and community support.
The response was overwhelming.
ISSofBC Chief Operating Officer, Chris Friesen described it as
” drinking from a fire hydrant of humanity “
Canada’s Syrian resettlement response in BC
Operation Syrian Refugee became one of Canada’s largest refugee resettlement initiatives, welcoming 25,000 Syrian refugees nationwide, including approximately 3,600 people in British Columbia. We were at the centre of BC’s refugee settlement services response.
Families needed housing, language support, healthcare connections, school registration, transportation guidance, employment information, and help navigating life in a new country. To meet this urgent need, ISSofBC hired more than 50 additional staff and opened nine reception centres.
Staff worked closely with government partners, settlement agencies, community organizations, volunteers, interpreters, and residents to coordinate rapid and compassionate support for newly arrived families.
The work was fast-paced and often carried out under intense public attention. It was not perfect. Efforts of this scale never are.
But it was human, urgent, and deeply committed.
The long road after arrival
For families arriving through Canada’s Syrian refugee resettlement program, landing in Canada was only the beginning of rebuilding their lives.
People still needed to find housing, access healthcare, learn English, enroll children in school, prepare for work, and rebuild daily routines in unfamiliar communities.
For some families, those challenges were compounded by serious health concerns.
One family that settled in Coquitlam after fleeing Aleppo faced significant medical needs. Their daughter required dialysis several times each week while waiting for a kidney transplant. Another child abroad also needed urgent medical care.
While grateful for the support they received in Canada, the family described the difficulty of managing health needs, language barriers, family separation, and settlement challenges all at once.
The father, an engineer by training, wanted more than safety. He wanted the opportunity to work, contribute, and rebuild his life with dignity and purpose.
His experience reflects a broader truth about refugee integration in Canada: people are not only seeking protection—they are seeking participation, contribution, and belonging.
That is why refugee settlement work in Canada matters. It is not only about arrival. It is about helping people move from survival toward stability, connection, and full participation in community life.
Recognizing the people behind the response
ISSofBC extends sincere appreciation to all current and former staff who contributed to the Syrian resettlement response. Some welcomed families at reception centres. Others coordinated housing, managed volunteers, translated information, connected newcomers to services, supported partners, and kept operations running as the organization rapidly expanded.
Many carried the pressure of the moment quietly.
Nearly 10 years later, the impact of Operation Syrian Refugee continues to be felt across British Columbia. Syrian newcomers have built lives in Canada as students, workers, parents, business owners, volunteers, and neighbours.
The response also strengthened Canada’s refugee resettlement system, expanded organizational capacity, and demonstrated what is possible when governments, settlement organizations, and communities act together with purpose.
It also reinforced a lasting truth:
Refugee resettlement is never only about numbers.
Behind every successful response are people working quietly to make the next step possible.
Welcome continues
On World Refugee Day on June 20, we recognize the courage of people forced to flee and the communities that welcome them.
Operation Syrian Refugee reminds us that welcome is not a single moment. It is a commitment that continues long after arrival.
At ISSofBC, we continue to support newcomers as they settle in their communities, learn English, find work, and build a future in Canada through refugee settlement services in British Columbia.
Today, we look back with gratitude for the staff, partners, volunteers, and communities who helped turn an urgent humanitarian response into lasting welcome.
We ask you to:
👉 Read how refugees Are Good for Canada: World Refugee Day 2026
👉 Learn and share the facts about refugees
👉 Donate to refugee programming or become a volunteer through ISSofBC
👉 Send a message to your MP or sign the Canadian Council for Refugees petition to the Prime Minister
👉 Welcome newcomers in your community.
