Edmontonians gather to pray for Syria, raise money for earthquake relief
Edmontonians gather to pray for Syria, raise money for earthquake relief
Dozens of people came together at a west Edmonton church Tuesday night to show support for the people of Syria.
A 7.8 magnitude quake rocked the war-torn country and neighbouring Turkiye Monday killing at least 6,200.
Syria has been divided by a civil war since 2011, killing at least 500,000 people and causing millions to flee.
One of those people is Mariane Khoury, who came to the Edmonton area in 2016 as a refugee.
"What goes through my mind is: not again. It's another thing that they have to go through. More lives that have to be lost and they're losing everything all over again," Khoury told CTV News Edmonton.
She is from Aleppo, one of the areas hardest hit by the quake, and still has aunts and a grandpa in Syria.
Early estimates suggest at least 1,600 people in the country were killed and 3,600 were injured.
"My family survived, but some of our friends haven't and some people that we know have unfortunately passed away. I feel very sad. I feel angry because we're so far away and there's not much we can do from a distance," Khoury said.
"A lot of houses are damaged. They had to rush out of their homes because, obviously, of the earthquake. They've lost a lot, so I think they're far from OK, unfortunately."
Ottawa will contribute at least $10 million to earthquake relief efforts in Turkiye and Syria as part of an initial aid package, International Development Minister Harjit Sajjan said Tuesday.
"We are conducting the needs assessment to look at what would be the next steps," Sajjan said, adding that "nothing is off the table."
The people who gathered Tuesday said they tried to set up a GoFundMe to help Syria, but the website denied the effort due to sanctions because of the war. They called on the international community to drop the restrictions.
In the meantime, donations were being accepted by the Syrian/Lebanese congregation at St. Nicolas Church StNicholasEtransfer@gmail.com.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Matt Woodman and The Associated Press
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the 'Doctrine of Discovery,' the theories backed by 15th-century 'papal bulls' that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property law today.
The Canada Revenue Agency will pilot a new automatic system next year to help vulnerable Canadians who don't file their taxes get their benefits. This week's federal budget says the Canada Revenue Agency will also present a plan in 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations.
When the doors close at night at the administration office at Yukon's Carcross Tagish First Nation, a van hits the road and drives through the communities to offer naloxone to reverse overdoses, drug testing kits, food and even a friendly face to help those struggling because of the opioid crisis.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, in a leaked cellphone call, commiserated with a COVID-19 protester about his trial while divulging to him there was an internal dispute over how Crown prosecutors were handling COVID-19 cases.
Months after Canada's ban on foreign homebuyers took effect on Jan. 1, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has made several amendments to the legislation allowing non-Canadians to purchase residential properties in certain circumstances.
To help offset rising living expenses, the Government of Canada has introduced a one-time grocery rebate for low- and modest-income Canadians. Here is what we know about the rebate.
The family of a 37-year-old man who was stabbed to death in Vancouver last weekend says he was attacked after asking someone not to vape near his young daughter.
A new grocery rebate designed to offset food inflation, amendments to legislation on Canada’s ban on foreign homebuyers, and Alberta’s premier was heard on a call with a COVID-19 protester. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
A 15-year-old girl shot to death in the community of Martindale early Tuesday morning, has now been identified by friends and police as Sarah Alexis Jorquera.
Calgary police say they've arrested a woman in connection with a stabbing at the Lions Park LRT station that stemmed from a fight between several people.
A United Conservative Party candidate in Lethbridge claims teachers are exposing students to pornography and gender reassignment without parental knowledge.
A Saskatoon murder trial is being adjourned to allow police to follow-up on "significant information" that just came to the Crown prosecutor's attention Wednesday.
CTV News has learned a dog that attacked a five-year-old boy last week had been declared dangerous in February 2022, but the city had lost track of the owner a year ago.
The eve of the release of the final report from the inquiry into Nova Scotia’s 2020 mass shooting is a reminder for residents of Portapique of their small community’s traumatic past.
After British Columbia singled out a Nova Scotia practitioner for writing thousands of Ozempic prescriptions to Americans through pharmacies in metro Vancouver, officials in Nova Scotia began looking into the matter.
It's been two weeks since a major fire ripped through a heritage building in the heart of Old Montreal, killing seven people and forever altering the lives of families across the globe. For the families of those who died, the grieving process is only starting.
The CAQ government has unveiled its long-promised plan to improve Quebec's public health network. Tabled at the Quebec legislature Wednesday by Health Minister Christian Dubé, Bill 15 promises a major shakeup.
A young man found wounded late Wednesday night in the parking lot of a shopping centre in northeast Montreal is believed to be the victim of an earlier shooting in the same area. Montreal police (SPVM) reported Thursday morning that the 18-year-old man's life was no longer in danger.
The Canada Revenue Agency will pilot a new automatic system next year to help vulnerable Canadians who don't file their taxes get their benefits. This week's federal budget says the Canada Revenue Agency will also present a plan in 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations.
What the United States Attorney’s Office is calling a “child sextortion scheme” run by a man from Coon Rapids, Minnesota involved a minor from Kitchener, Ont.
It was a packed house at Wilfrid Laurier University on Wednesday night, with many sitting in to listen to a key note speech by a peace activist known around the world as ‘the girl in the picture’.
The federal government unveiled its spring budget Tuesday, with a clean economy as the centrepiece, and detailing targeted measures to help Canadians deal with still-high inflation.
Come the weekend, Manitobans will be paying more for gas and the price could climb even higher in the coming weeks and months according to a gas expert.
A Manitoba family has launched a lawsuit alleging their 23-year-old son had a stroke days after receiving a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, leaving him legally blind.
The Canada Revenue Agency will pilot a new automatic system next year to help vulnerable Canadians who don't file their taxes get their benefits. This week's federal budget says the Canada Revenue Agency will also present a plan in 2024 to expand the service, following consultations with stakeholders and community organizations.
The Riverview Hospital itself has been closed for more than a decade, but 289 people are currently receiving treatment for mental health, addictions or both at the old site.
Vancouver city council has asked staff to shape a policy that would require grant recipients to engage with officials in a "respectful manner," a move that one political scientist says suggests an attempt to prevent or punish criticism.
After a man was fatally stabbed outside of a Vancouver Starbucks in front of dozens of witnesses, video of the attack is circulating on social media, raising questions about why nobody stepped in to help.
