Living

10 powerful photos of Syrian refugees living across Canada

Photographer Annie Sakkab travelled to communities from the Yukon to Nova Scotia, where Syrian refugees are making lives alongside sponsors and volunteers.

Elaine Hofer (left) helps Najwa Hussein take care of her newborn daughter, Janna. The child, born in November 2016 in Canada, has helped strengthened the bonds between the Syrian family and the community sponsoring them. “I would have never imagined that I'd go to the hospital and a Muslim woman would have a baby and she would feel so much like my sister,” says Elaine. Photo, Annie Sakkab/UNHCR.

Elaine Hofer (left) helps Najwa Hussein take care of her newborn daughter, Janna. Photo, Annie Sakkab/UNHCR.

Canada has taken in more than 40,000 Syrian refugees since Nov. 2015, the initiative burned into Canadians’ brains by the iconic image of Justin Trudeau welcoming families at the airport. But a year and half later, shots of these newcomers are harder to come by. A photography project from the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) called From Far and Wide set out to see how some of the refugees are faring now, focusing on a handful of communities across the country.

Annie Sakkab, a Palestinian-Canadian photographer based in Toronto, shot the families over the course of four months last year. She shares 10 of the most memorable moments here.

More:
Why I chose not to have a second child — and let go of the daughter I’d always wanted
Sign up for our newsletter
The best striped fashion to wear all summer and beyond

Get Chatelaine in your inbox!

Our very best stories, recipes, style and shopping tips, horoscopes and special offers. Delivered a couple of times a week.