A reunion like no other

Fukui Shi said he finally felt free when he landed on Canadian soil with his wife and two kids on April 5.

The Chinese refugee has been trying to immigrate to Canada since 2007 and was finally accepted in December of last year.

His brother Joseph, who is a Cremona councillor and a Chinese refugee himself, awaited his arrival anxiously at the Calgary International Airport with family and friends.

While he saw his brother three years ago, this would be a reunion like no other.

Supporters held mini Canadian flags, a sign that read “Welcome to Canada Fukui Shi family” and balloons and flowers.

Joseph said he was ecstatic to see his brother and family arrive safely in Canada after almost 10 years of fighting to get him here, adding he couldn't sleep for two nights prior to his arrival.

Joseph was arrested in China nearly 30 years ago for leading a counter-revolutionary group and spent seven years in prison before fleeing the country and overcoming multiple hurdles en route to Canada in 2000.

He published an underground newsletter to educate people that China wasn't a communist country, that the Chinese government was brainwashing citizens by appearing communistic but not following the communism theory.

After he was arrested, Fukui started to follow what his older brother had started.

Fukui faced death threats and was attacked on more than one occasion. He also supported various human rights movements, including a website. But once the website's creator was arrested, he knew he couldn't continue doing what he believed in.

“From then on we decided it was time for him to get out,” said Joseph, whose brother and family were finally able to flee China to Thailand last year. They lived in a small apartment for more than a year hoping to get immigration approval to come to Canada.

Meanwhile, in Canada, Joseph said after an article was published in multiple Mountain View Publishing newspapers last fall, Earl Dreeshen, MP for the Red Deer-Mountain View riding, approached him and said he would help bring his brother to Canada if he was elected in last October's federal election.

Dreeshen was reelected and kept his promise. Fukui was accepted only two months later.

Fukui and his family embarked on a 20-hour flight that took them from Bangkok to Seoul, South Korea, then to Vancouver and finally to Calgary on the evening of April 5.

The refugee said he felt like a heavy load had been lifted off his shoulders. He was relieved, happy and appreciative.

Until Fukui and his family are settled into their new life in Canada, they will live with Joseph, his wife Christina and their adopted son Joshua in Cremona. During an interview with Mountain View Publishing at Joseph's restaurant in Cremona on April 7, Fukui said he thinks Cremona is beautiful and peaceful and people are friendly.

His two sons Chunlei and Hanlei, who will go by Charlie and Henry, are expected to start classes at Cremona School this week. Charlie is 11 and Henry is 17.

“This morning they already went to the schoolyard to play. They think this is heaven,” said Joseph, speaking for his brother and family who are eager to learn how to speak English. “Last night they couldn't sleep. They just wanted to play, play, play.”

Fukui said he is grateful for the Canadian government's support and efforts to get him here, but he wants the government to help other families suffering in China as well.

“You can't treat one group differently than the other. It's totally unfair,” said Joseph, noting his family's flight expenses were not covered while those for Syrian refugees are.

“He (Fukui) was treated good and we appreciate the Canadian government for that,” he added. “But we shouldn't only take refugees from one country and ignore the rest.”

Patricia Riley is the editor of the Carstairs Courier.