Taking care of the world's refugees brings out the best in all Albertans
In uncertain times, it's easy to become consumed by anxiety, anger and division. But these moments are precisely when we must reflect on our core values and ask: What does it mean to be Albertan or Canadian? For us, as physicians at the Calgary Refugee Health Clinic, the answers lie not in the loudest voices but in our patients' quiet resilience. Since 2011, our clinic has cared for more than 15,000 refugees. Their stories and Alberta's welcome reveal the best of who we are.
Calgary serves as Canada's western hub for refugee resettlement thanks to effective settlement and clinical programs developed over decades of inter-jurisdictional collaboration. Since the 2021 Afghan Resettlement Initiative, thousands of Afghan and other displaced families have arrived. Working with settlement agencies like CCIS, we often received only 24 to 48 hours' notice. We would meet at the airport with urgent medical care, warmth, and services. This reflects a rare but effective partnership between federally funded settlement agencies and provincially funded health services.
This partnership isn't just functional, it's exemplary. Alberta leads Canada in refugee resettlement. And no municipality in Canada — among the 55 we examined — resettles more refugees per capita than Brook, a prairie town an hour from Medicine Hat.
When we share these stories in academic and international circles through our work with the World Health Organization and UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), we're often met with disbelief. Canada's “most conservative province” is also its most welcoming? We've just returned from Geneva, co-organizing a high-level side event for the WHO'S 78th World Health Assembly. From this global perspective, we've learned what sounds like a most un-canadian boast: Canada is exceptionally good at refugee resettlement and multicultural integration. Few Canadians know we are the only nation awarded the UNHCR'S Nansen Refugee Award, for our response to the 1970s and 80s Indochinese refugee crisis, when Canada invented the Private Refugee Sponsorship Program, now emulated worldwide. Canada has since pioneered multiple resettlement programs, including Ugandan Ismailis, Central and South Americans, South Sudanese, Kosovars, Syrians, Afghans and Ukrainians.
Our clinic has cared for families from more than 110 countries. The adults are young, often arriving with children who integrate quickly. These children are our economic and political future. In them, we see Alberta's best qualities. Take Calgary's Yazidi community, which survived ISIS slavery and genocide. Their resettlement posed profound health challenges, but they now thrive, especially since hosting Yazidi Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, who visited Calgary's Yazidi community.
Through Refugee Health YYC at the University of Calgary, we've trained many former refugees, now thriving graduate and medical students, and community leaders. For example, Adanech Sahilie launched a community health program and was recognized with multiple awards. These are not just success stories, they are Albertan and Canadian stories.
A patient recently asked, “What makes Canadians so different? So kind?” It's a simple but powerful question. It reminds us that our strength lies not in anger or exclusion, but in the opportunities we extend to others, who then thrive. We call this the “refugee fire” — a powerful motivation to work, build, achieve, and give back after losing everything. When nurtured, this fire transforms not just individuals, but society.
So again: What does it mean to be an Albertan in Canada?
It means actions over words. It means building systems that work across jurisdictions. It means welcoming those in need, not just because it is right, but because it strengthens us all.
As anger and xenophobia threaten our better instincts, we offer this counter-narrative. Not a fantasy, but a lived reality. One we see daily in hospitals, clinics, classrooms, and boardrooms. One that defines our history — and, we believe, should define our future.
Gabriel Fabreau is an associate professor in general internal medicine and co-director of Refugee Health YYC at the O'brien Institute for Public Health. Nesma El Shazly is the senior program manager at Refugee Health YYC. Annalee Coakley is a clinical assistant professor, family medicine and co-director of Refugee Health YYC.