Ten years ago, Asif Rahimi made the heartbreaking decision to flee Afghanistan. He left behind his pregnant wife, Arezo, in hopes of finding safety overseas. For the last decade, he has only interacted with his daughter, Laleh, via video call, watching her grow up in front of his eyes, though a world apart. The proud dad taught his daughter English nightly, in the hopes she could start school in Canada right away.
Now, the family members are being reunited, and are trying to find a place to start a new and well-deserved life in Pemberton.
Rahimi’s chance at a new life in the Sea to Sky corridor was all thanks to a group of incredible Whistler volunteers. Laurie Cooper has made it her life’s mission to bring refugees from dire situations to Canada. Many of the refugees are offered work and accommodation in the Fairmont hotel when they first arrive.
“I travelled overseas to work in a couple of refugee camps,” said Cooper. “I was having coffee in 2016 with the general manager of the Fairmont. He said that if I could bring people over, the hotel would give them jobs. I started the project that year and we brought around 18 guys over—Syrians and Afghans. I sponsor them and raise the sponsorship funds necessary. Many of them start at the hotel, work there for a year or so and then move on to other things.”
Through her volunteer work, Cooper was alerted to the plight of the Hazaras in Afghanistan, an ethnic group targeted throughout history.
“I started sponsoring Hazaras,” she said. “The Taliban has committed to exterminating them. They see them like cockroaches. They have been persecuted for a hundred years.”
In 2022, three Hazara men arrived in Whistler, Rahimi among them.
“They all had to escape,” Cooper said.
Rahimi was stuck in Indonesia when he was first introduced to the woman who would change his life. Afghanistan refugees had travelled to Indonesia in the hopes of getting to countries like Australia. However, in 2013 Australia announced it was “stopping the boats” and no longer accepting refugees who arrived by sea.
Rahimi was trapped, not being able to work or learn to live in Indonesia. He realizes he is among the lucky ones able to escape.
“There is no hope for so many people,” he said. “That’s why so many Afghans decide to commit suicide. They live in really high-stress situations. I was one of them. The day my application got approved, I just felt like there were people out there who cared.”
Rahimi and Cooper instantly had a connection that would blossom into a great friendship. “She is a really heart-warming person. She decided to sponsor me,” said Rahimi. His wife and daughter were included in his application, even though they were still in Afghanistan. “We have been waiting for two years to get them here,” said Cooper. “We just found out that her visa was approved. They should be here in the next few weeks.”
Rahimi told Pique words do not exist to adequately describe the feelings he had when he found out he would have housing and a job in Whistler. However, learning the responsibilities Laurie had taken on to save him is a moment he will never forget.
“When I read the list of responsibilities of my sponsor, that really made me cry,” Rahimi said.
Rahimi is now assistant manager of Whistler’s Rexall, part of the melting pot of people that makes this part of the world so special.
“It’s a beautiful place. There are so many people here from every corner of the world,” he said.
The young man said he constantly lies awake wondering why fate dealt him this hand; why he was separated from his family under such horrific circumstances.
“I have never seen my daughter,” he said. “I have always tried to find an answer about why this is, but I will never have an answer. I don’t know how she is going to feel in 10 years’ time about this. I don’t know how she is going to behave, because I wasn’t there for her. It’s a tough one, and it’s scary as well.”
Rahimi said he could never see his family moving back to Afghanistan, the way things are now. He is searching desperately for a one- or two-bedroom suite in Pemberton for his family as he anxiously waits for their notice of departure.
“I have looked everywhere and have had no luck so far,” he said. “It should be exciting. I have been living in Pemberton because there was no accommodation with my job.”
Rahimi hopes his little girl will be welcomed into the arms of the mountain village.
“I see the school and the community. The people here take care of one another,” he said. “It’s a great place for kids and everyone is so supportive. I feel like if we found a place in Pemberton, my daughter won’t feel lonely. She is not going to feel bad about living in another country.”
Pemberton Meadows resident, Vincent Champoux, has kindly invited Rahimi and his family to stay in his place for a month or two free of charge. He hopes this will give the family time to find somewhere they can call their own in the village.
“I moved to Pemberton a while ago, and I know how hard it is to find a place, even more so for a family. I persevered and managed to build a beautiful place for me,” Champoux said. “I live in a five-bedroom house on a farm I built throughout the last few years. I like to share it for the ones that need. It’s not a permanent solution, but if I can help, it makes me happy.”
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