'They bring new ways of doing things' as small Ontario city tries to attract newcomers

RahmaKiwanis a busy mom with three sons, aged 12, 10 and 2, and aninfant daughter,Retal.

"Our Canadian baby," Rahmasays proudly. "She is a Canadian baby."

Rahmaand her husband, AmerHamad, are from Syria. They came to Canada via Jordan with their boys more than two years ago.

They were part of a wave of Syrian refugees. They ended up in southwestern Ontario city of St. Thomas.

At 39,000 residents, St. Thomas has roughly the same population as Darah, the Syrian city the family fled because of war. The similar size has helped them with the transition.

"We are very, very happy. St. Thomas is very good. Canada is very good," saysRahma.

Home ofNHLsuperstar

St. Thomas is surrounded by rich farmland, where those who weren't white stood out as either migrant workers or Mexican Mennonites living in insular communities.

Diners and country restaurants still dominate the food landscape, but a smattering of Mexican cantinas remind residents of the Mennonite influence on the region.

One of St. Thomas' favourite sons is Joe Thornton, the most Canadian of hometown heroes a hockey player. The other? A circus elephant hit by a train for whom the city erected a giant statue.

To revive the city's fortunes, some pinning their hopes that newcomers from abroad can help transform the local economy.

"They bring new ways of doing things, new ideas, new businesses and doing them in a different way," saysPetrusiaHontar,co-ordinatorat the St. Thomas-Elgin Local Immigration Partnership. "The newcomers will fill that void."

Grassroots effort

The transformation isn't being driven by the city's economic development corporation or even city politicians.

Instead, the transformation is grassroots, run by church and community groups that say the value newcomers bring to the economically-bruised city is showing up in small victories around town.

When Syrians began to arrive in Canada, St. Thomas didn't have the services to accept government assisted refugees. Instead,Rahmaand Amer were sponsored by a group from the First United Church, which wrapped around them to provide housing, and cultural training.

"Watching how the community has responded to this family, everyone coming together, how welcoming we've been, we can do that better than any large city out there," said Lori Baldwin-Sands, one of the members of the church team.

"We are a nation of refugees that have come together and decided that our diversity makes us much stronger. We look for the successes and we try to work together to make sure the successes happen."

An entrepreneurial spirit

WhenHassibZabianfirst set foot in St. Thomas in 1990, it was a very different place.

There was steady work at the Ford plant and if not there, then the spin-off jobs that come with large manufacturing facilities.

But that wasn't the kind of workZabianwas looking for in his new life. Having arrived from Lebanon, the young man had an entrepreneurial spirit and opened a clothing and alterations store in the Elgin Mall.

Today, almost three decades later, his customers are the children and grandchildren of the original people he'd served.

"In North America, in Canada, we are decreasing in population,"Zabiansays as he customizes a belt for a long-time customer. "That's why we need newcomers. You may spend money to bring people in, but it's an investment and you gain eventually."

They admit it's not always easy to convince people living in a city hard hit by an economic downturn that newcomers are the future.

"Periodically, we do hear from some folks who are concerned," Harris admits. "But as the economy is improving, they see there are jobs for everyone. We have to diversity our workforce, diversify our economy.

There's also the concern of racial tension. The population of St. Thomas is about 95 per cent Caucasian.

"It's a slow process. We're not going to do it overnight we're looking at a five, ten year plan with truly moving forward to bring the community into a space where everyone is welcome."

Sharing space

So, the church has cleared out their fellowship room for Friday afternoon Jumaa prayers, considered obligatory for some.

Up to 30 people can fit into the space and recently, during Ramadan, about 50 people from different broke the fast together, a sign of the changing city, Hontar says.

The YWCA and the immigration partnership group last year created a website, Welcome to St. Thomas-Elgin, a one-stop shop for newcomers with information about growth sectors, health, housing, and newcomer stories. Those who are inspired can ask the featured immigrants a question about their experience and soon, they'll be able to chat with Hundt about moving to St. Thomas.

"We have a wide range of people moving here," Hundt says.

"People from Cambodia, Vietnam, China, central and southern America, Colombia, Mexico, Syria, Sudan it's a mixture, but the majority come through the family sponsorship program."

The place grabs some, Harris says, and doesn't let go. One man, from Sudan, was driving through southwestern Ontario and took a wrong turned, fell in love with St. Thomas, and settled here. Seven families from India, who had previously lived in Brampton, recently bought homes in a new subdivision, attracted to the quiet and low cost of living.

Big challenges for a small city

But settling newcomers isn't without its challenges. The immigrant population isn't large enough that there are ESL classes at the high schools.

Just one school, on the outskirts of the city, offers English as a Second Language classes. They're offered there because of the large Mexican Mennonite population, which means newcomers from Syria, for example, are bussed up to 50 minutes to the one high school where they can learn the language.

"We're hoping that can develop as we can get more youth in the community," Harris says. "The kids who go out there do very well, they seem to be enjoying it, it's just not an ideal situation. They're vulnerable to isolation, they're caught between two worlds, and it would be easier if they could be in their own communities."

Family income

Back at her home, Rahma Kiwan is busy caring for her four children Her husband Amer, who worked with ceramic tile back in Syria, has found similar employment with a company in St. Thomas.

It's the kind of success that tailor Hassib Zabian applauds.

"We a human, we have to help everyone. We have to build, not only material but build people, too," says Zabian.

"When you look at the Syrian families they have large families, two, three, four kids. We spend money on them now, but when they graduate and start working, the money we spent will make it back. It's not wasting money. It's investing."

This story is part of country-wide CBCproject called Transformation.

CBCstations across the country will be taking a closer look at some of the problems small townsface and how they are pushing forward and adapting to those challenges.

Here's some more:

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• Here's how Stratford, Ont. aims to attract a younger population