Halifax Syrian refugees see first-ever hockey game

More than 80 Halifax Syrian refugees took in their first-ever hockey game Friday evening.

Saint Mary's University's men's hockey team went up against University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières in the quarter final for the University Cup in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport championship.

Ziad Khaled Alhessaw clutched his baby girl while watching the game. He said he likes the new moves and techniques used in the game.

"It's challenging. It's really nice to watch," he said through a translator.

In the stands, cheering the hockey team on, were between 40 and 50 children with their parents, along with three people with disabilities, students association vice president Ossama Nasrallah told CBC News before the game.

"It's going to be a really good experience — and we have seen this from the kids," he said.

"We told them we are going to a hockey game and they ask us, 'What should we do there and how does it look?' They are more than excited."

Trip came together quickly

It'll be the first time the group will see the sport, or an ice rink, but Nasrallah said seven school hockey players sat among the group to explain the game, with the help of 14 bilingual students to translate between English and Arabic. 

The school and other groups have gotten together to pay for the tickets, t-shirts, pop and popcorn for the whole experience, he said. 

"It came out really fast," Nasrallah said. "In a week, we were able to get the 80 people."

'Where they feel welcome'

Many in the group had big smiles early on in the game while wearing toques and their t-shirts over parkas and sweaters.

In the last quarter of 2015, more than 900 people immigrated to Nova Scotia, according to a report released Thursday. That put Nova Scotia's immigration levels at the highest since the mid 1990s, and the province's population at its highest ever, the report said.

"I believe the Canadian people, when they see them and they feel inside them, that yes, we need to do something for these people," Nasrallah said.

"That's where they feel welcome."