By Mark Brett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
For an immigrant family from Penticton, what began as a week of fear and uncertainty has turned into a new lease on life in their adopted homeland.
After getting a one-week delay on a June 13 deportation order, on Tuesday, Hardeep Singh Chahal, his wife Kamaldeep Kaur and three-year-old daughter Keerat Kaur, were informed by the government the delay is now 91裸聊视频渋ndefinite.91裸聊视频�
In addition, they have been invited to reapply for their cancelled work visas.
91裸聊视频淚 just feel so good now. For the last few days there was just so much going through our minds, just so little hope and now this,91裸聊视频� said Kamaldeep through her tears of joy in a telephone interview from the Surrey motel where they91裸聊视频檝e been staying while waiting for the flight out. 91裸聊视频淲e were talking in the morning and if they had not called us, we would have been on an airplane now and leaving our home.
91裸聊视频淔or our future I have so many positive things to think. I now have this hope that we will be able to stay. That this will be our home and our children91裸聊视频檚 home forever.91裸聊视频�
Keerat was born in Canada and Kamaldeep is expecting their second child.
Especially overwhelming for the family was the community response to their situation after the story first appeared in the June 3 print edition of The Herald.
91裸聊视频淚 just can91裸聊视频檛 understand how I can say thanks to everybody who has helped us stay here, I just can91裸聊视频檛 explain it,91裸聊视频� said Kamaldeep. 91裸聊视频淔or whoever helped us, to everybody who, did thank you so much. We will never forget this help.91裸聊视频�
After the story appeared in multiple publications through the Local Journalism Initiative program, more than 100 emails were received and forwarded by member of Parliament Richard Cannings91裸聊视频� office to the Ministry of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
91裸聊视频淚 think the community support made a difference,91裸聊视频� said Cannings Tuesday in a phone interview from Ottawa. 91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 not surprised at all about that support. I think that91裸聊视频檚 an indication that they have all that support and with that support comes hope.91裸聊视频�
Jula Sukumar-Dyer, Cannings91裸聊视频� constituent assistant who has worked tirelessly on the matter agreed.
91裸聊视频淚 think it is all the community letters and the case that we made for the family is super important and caught their (government) attention.
91裸聊视频淭here was a really good reason for us and the community to advocate and I91裸聊视频檓 just so happy the government was able to see the reasons through our eyes.91裸聊视频�
And while there is still a process they91裸聊视频檒l have to go through to get their Canadian citizenship, according Sukumar-Dyer, their future looks bright.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e still waiting for some more news, but things are moving very quickly and moving in a positive direction,91裸聊视频� she said. 91裸聊视频淗onestly, deportations are really hard to turn around, but I think it can happen.91裸聊视频�
Another person who is very happy with Tuesday91裸聊视频檚 news is Hardeep91裸聊视频檚 former employer and the man who brought the family91裸聊视频檚 plight to public attention, Pierre Levesque.
91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e all just so happy, I feel like a million bucks,91裸聊视频� said Levesque. 91裸聊视频淚t is heartwarming for me. I mean I get to keep a very talented tractor operator, but I guess for me it goes a little deeper than that.91裸聊视频�
The family was returning home to Penticton Tuesday evening and was planning to meet with officials of the city91裸聊视频檚 Sikh Temple who also stepped up to help after learning about their situation.
91裸聊视频淭he family is not finished with this yet and they still have to carry on with the process and so if they need help with that one we will,91裸聊视频� said Temple member Jesse Garcha. 91裸聊视频淎nything we can do to help the couple we will.91裸聊视频�
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