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
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the vote later today on the Conservative motion calling for a new study into foreign interference will not be a confidence vote.
Gwyneth Paltrow's trial is set to begin on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by a retired optometrist who said that the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer violently crashed into him in 2016 while skiing in Utah at one of the most upscale ski resorts in the United States.
A Virginia teacher who was shot and wounded by her 6-year-old student said it has changed her life and she has vivid memories and nightmares about that day.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has just released a new report and its alarming conclusions are a must-read for anyone who cares about what kind of planet we’re going to leave to our kids, writes former NDP Leader Tom Mulcair.
March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day and to mark the occasion a Canadian organization launched a campaign showcasing older people living with the condition.
A new report that looks at the prevalence of marketing to children inside grocery stores and restaurants suggests regulation is needed to help reduce unhealthy food temptations.
Students and community members will gather in protest outside the Calgary Board of Education Centre Tuesday morning, calling for the removal of the Sir John A. Macdonald name from a northwest junior high school.
A Wheatland County sanctuary that cares for abandoned and surrendered farm animals faces an uncertain future after having a permit application to keep operating denied.
Mixed reviews continue to roll in days after Experience Regina delivered new campaign slogans that lean into the double entendre of the capital city’s name.
Saskatchewan RCMP said themselves and Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan (CTSS) arrested and charged 138 motorists around the province under the criminal code for impaired driving in January and February.
The coming 2023 federal budget will 'exercise fiscal restraint' while also making 'significant' investments in health and building Canada's clean economy, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said Monday.
New Brunswick's finance minister is scheduled to table a provincial budget Tuesday as the government grapples with problems in health care and housing and the effects of a population surge.
Two staff members and a student -- who is also the suspect -- have been injured in a stabbing at a high school in Bedford, N.S., according to the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE).
The president of the Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU) is weighing in after two staff members and a student, who is also the suspect, were injured in a stabbing at Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford, N.S., Monday morning.
A 31-year-old neuroscientist is believed to be among the six people missing after a massive fire in Old Montreal last week. An Wu was staying at the heritage building on Place d'Youville to attend a conference, according to friends and family.
Rescuers have yet to recover any additional bodies from the wreck of a fire in Old Montreal last week. As of Tuesday morning, there were still six people missing. The body of one victim, a woman, was extracted on Sunday.
Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard is scheduled to table the first budget of the Coalition Avenir Québec's second mandate this afternoon. Girard broke with tradition on Monday — instead of buying new shoes ahead of the budget, he announced a $5,000 donation to a Quebec City community centre.
A member of the city of Ottawa's board of health is speaking out about body shaming after receiving a letter that said she shouldn't serve on the board because of her weight.
Gwyneth Paltrow's trial is set to begin on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by a retired optometrist who said that the actor-turned-lifestyle influencer violently crashed into him in 2016 while skiing in Utah at one of the most upscale ski resorts in the United States.
Three misdemeanour charges were filed Monday against the son of Philadelphia Flyers interim general manager Danny Briere after a video posted on social media showed him and another Mercyhurst University athlete pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a staircase.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the vote later today on the Conservative motion calling for a new study into foreign interference will not be a confidence vote.
After a large fire spread from tents to a shuttered theatre on the city’s Downtown Eastside, Vancouver’s fire chief told reporters she was “incredibly frustrated” that more isn’t being done to prevent daily fires breaking out in the area.
Vancouver council will soon vote on a policy that could slow development in the Broadway Plan, one of the most significant long-term projects underway in the city.
Doctors, patients and advocates are uniting for a reminder to older British Columbians to request a free colon cancer screening test – as we mark National Colon Cancer Awareness month.
