Photo via www.usnews.com

Syrian refugee crisis Increasing in severity

» Refugees continue to pour out of the country

Davie Wong
Contributor

[: difficult to believe that what
started as peaceful protest
against the government in 2011
escalated to a full-blown war.
Citizens of Syria are fleeing in

fear of the lives of themselves and
their families. The conflicts have
claimed over 220,000 lives; half of
whom are civilians.

Neighbouring countries are
attempting to accommodate as
many refugees as possible. In
Turkey alone, there are nearly
two million Syrian refugees.

The number of people displaced
within the country is already at
an estimated 7.6 million and is
continuing to rise.

Leaving Syria is dangerous,

: as refugees often travel by night

: toavoid being caught bya sniper

: or being abducted by regime

: members and forced into their

: armies. Many stay in the country,

: stating that the risk of dying

: trying to leave is just as high as the
: risk of staying.

Refugees who have managed

: to escape the country face further
: challenges. Refugee camps and

: cities are filled to capacity, and

: many refugees are now being

: turned away from camps because
: there isn’t enough room to

: accommodate them.

Many of these refugees turn

: to illegal methods of immigration.
: In port cities along the Turkish

: coast, some migrants pay

: smugglers an average of $1300

: USD per person to join up to 30

: other people on a rubber raft and
: sail towards the Greek islands
: near Turkey.

Those on board the raft are

: left with little more than a life

: jacket, and are exposed to the

: elements at sea. Many of the

: boats sail early in the morning,

: in the hope of being spotted by

: a larger vessel capable of taking

: them to another destination. It is a
: dangerous journey that often ends
: in tragedy. Every day, more bodies

: wash up along the beaches, many

: of them children.

When asked about why

: he would risk the journey,

: Mohammed, a young Syrian

: refugee, said to CNN: “What can
: Ido? Idon't want to kill. I don’t

: want to be killed.’

With the increased pressure

: on world leaders to assist in the

: situation, many countries have

: opened up their doors to allow

: more Syrian refugees in. Notably,
: the German government has

: promised refuge to 500,000 Syrian :
: immigrants annually. :

Prime Minister Stephen

: Harper promised in January to

: provide refuge to 10,000 Syrian

: refugees. Recently, Harper stated
: that Canada will not take any

: more refugees without proper

: security screening. According to

: CBC, when asked about the topic:
: on September 8 during a Facebook :
: question-and-answer session,
: Harper said, “We cannot open

: the floodgates... to thousands of
: refugees out of a terrorist war zone :
: without proper process.”

Premiers across Canada

: are beginning to reach out and

: offer their province’s support. BC

: Premier Christy Clark became the
: fourth provincial leader to offer

: assistance, pledging $1 million to

helping Syrian refugees.
Local governments have

: also commented on the crisis,

: with Vancouver Mayor Gregor

: Robertson telling CBC that,

: “Vancouver has a long and proud

: history of welcoming refugees and
: their families in times of desperate
: need”

The Canadian Red Cross
continues to raise money to help

: supply refugees with food, water,
: and emergency medical attention.
: UNICEF Canada and World

Vision Canada are also raising

; money to support Syrian children
: and their families.

 

Former Mayor of New Westminster passes away

» Tom Baker wanted everyone to enjoy the Royal City to the fullest

Lauren Kelly
Assistant Editor
Massistant@theotherpress.ca

he flag at New Westminster

City Hall was flying at half-
mast to honour Tom Baker, the
city’s mayor from 1982-1988.
Baker passed away on September
1at the age of 83. He was
surrounded by his family.

Baker grew up and started
his family in Liverpool before
they moved to New Westminster
in 1968. Although they arrived
with only $200 to begin their
new life, not 10 years later Baker
was sitting on the city council as
an alderman. This was a drastic
change from his previous career
as a carpenter, but Baker wanted
a role in helping to shape the
city. New Westminster historian
Archie Miller told the New
Westminster NewsLeader that

: “He [Baker] was an ordinary,

: common man, but he wanted
: things to change from the

: routine”

After four years of working

: asa city councillor, Baker

: successfully ran for mayor of

: New Westminster. During his six
: years in office, Baker revitalized

: New Westminster, He took

: every opportunity he could to

: draw the people in and have fun
: with them. He wanted everyone
: to truly enjoy and love New

: Westminster.

Baker was in office when

Douglas College opened; when
: Expo 86 took place; Transporama, !
ia transportation exhibition; :
: and the city’s 125th anniversary.

: During Expo 86, he hosted

: additional events in the city, and
: for Transporama, he installed

: halls along the waterfront. He

: cared deeply about making the

: waterfront enjoyable for New

: West’s citizens, and worked to

: continue its transformation

: froma warehouse district to the
: pedestrian-friendly, beautiful

: place it is today.

He was also present to

: officially open New Westminster’s :
: SkyTrain stations in 1985, greeting :
: the inaugural train’s many :
: important political passengers,

: including both BC and Ontario's
: premiers. He told the crowd that
: day: “[The] SkyTrain is playing a
: vital role in the rejuvenation of

: New Westminster. It providesa —:
: New exciting transportation route :

into the Royal City.”
After retiring as Mayor, he

: ran in the 1991 provincial election
: for the city as part of the Social

: Credit party, but did not win the

: seat. After this, his family moved
: to Maple Ridge, where he ran

: for Councillor and won the seat

 

: without campaigning.

Baker’s daughter, Karen

Baker-McGrotty, told the New

: West Record after her father’s

: passing that, “He was a man of

: the people. He was an incredible

Photo via www.newwestrecord.ca

: individual. He was a great

: contributor in the community.”

: Baker will lie in state on

: September 17, and his funeral will
: take place the following day on

: September 18.