Sudbury family celebrates liberation of their home country of Syria

A Syrian family living in Sudbury, Ont., is celebrating a significant political shift in their home country after rebels took over the government.

On the wall of Damascus Shawarma on Lasalle Boulevard -- named after the capital city -- hangs a piece of art that reminds owner Hussein Qarqouz of his home country of Syria.

Syrian art hangs on the wall of Damascus Shawarma on Lasalle Boulevard in Sudbury. Dec. 10, 2024 (Amanda Hicks/CTV Northern Ontario)

He hasn't been back in more than a decade since moving to Canada.

On Sunday, the Assad regime was toppled after ruling for half a century.

Qarqouz said he’s thought of his family, friends and people back in Syria every day and the news brought him joy that he said he hasn’t felt in quite some time.

"We are free and, our sacrifices were not in vain," he said.

"After two million people died and 50 million refugees in (the) whole country, they broke. Now, after 50, 55 years of dictatorship, we are free."

Qarqouz was arrested in 2011 overseas for participating in a protest outside his bakery in Syria.

He spent two and a half months in prison and said when he returned home his family didn’t recognize him.

"My skin was blue from being beaten, my beard was long. My son saw me, and he cried," Qarqouz said, describing the abuse he received from Syrian prison guards.

"But now, I know I am free."

Deciding it was no longer safe for his family to remain in Syria, the family relocated to Lebanon in 2012.

In December 2015, the family arrived in Sudbury, Ont., as the city’s first Syrian refugees.

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Qarqouz’s son, Nabil, was ten years old at the time.

"It was a little bit scary at the time," Nabil recalled.

"But when we started school (in Canada), we made friends. They helped us with our language. We adopted quickly."

Now, working at his father’s restaurant, which was established in 2018, Nabil said he was asked often if his family would ever return to Syria.

"A lot of Canadian customers, they would ask me, like, 'When are you gonna go to Syria?' I said, 'I can't, I'm not allowed," he said.

"If I did, I would have been arrested, I wouldn’t have (come) back, but now, for the first time, I can say 'Yes, I can go back.'"

Nabil said he only has negative memories of Syria, but he would like that to change one day.

He said Sudbury has become his family’s home.

"This is, you know, this the best community we can ever ask for," Nabil said.

"Every time, we have something, you know, they are always, behind us. We always try to give back as much as we can. Because when we came here, we had nothing."

Qarqouz echoed those sentiments, saying that Canadians have been warm and friendly.

"Canadian people are very humble people. They’ve helped support my family," he said.

"Sudbury is my home."

Qarqouz said he would like to take his family back to Syria for a visit, something he never thought was possible until now.

"No more jail, no more dictator. No, I'm not scared. No more sad," he said. "I am back soon. I miss my family."

This Friday, Damascus will be offering 50 per cent off for all meals and items to celebrate Syria’s liberation.

Qarqouz said the family will be distributing 200 meals to the homeless this Christmas as a way to give back to the community.