Mr. Speaker, one year ago, on December 10, our national project to resettle Syrian refugees reached an important milestone as the first plane touched down on Canadian soil.
We are fortunate to have seen so many Canadians open their doors, their communities, and their hearts, and to have found partners eager to take up the opportunity of building a rich, diverse, and compassionate Canada.
I would like to acknowledge the global refugee sponsorship initiative. This initiative is led by the Canadian government, the UNHCR, the University of Ottawa, the Radcliffe Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations. It is designed to provide training and advice to countries interested in replicating Canada's private sponsorship model.
This week, the initiative is bringing together sponsorship groups, refugees, and governments from nine different countries interested in replicating Canada's tremendously successful model. This is vital work. Each of us should be proud of how much Canadians have done to make a difference.