We are delighted to introduce you to Katherine Clackson and Dan Chivers.
On September 2, 2015, the world was stunned by the image of 3 year old Alan Kurdi’s lifeless body washed up like a ragdoll upon a Turkish beach. He drowned along with his brother and mother en route to Europe where they were hoping to find a better life. This searing image served as a clarion call to action and spurred governments across the world to open their borders for Syrian refugees.
In Edmonton, Katherine Clackson and Dan Chivers, both criminal trial lawyers, were just another newly married couple. Katherine practices at the firm of Attia Reeves and Dan is a partner at Pringle Chivers Sparks Teskey. They had moved into their new house and were looking forward to starting their own family’s journey. But the image of little Alan struck a deep chord and they decided they had to do something.
Katie got in touch with Bob Aloneissi Q.C., from Edmonton who was working with Calgary lawyer Maggie O’Shaughnessy on a project with the Mennonite Central Committee of Alberta to speed up the sponsorship process and get Syrian families in to Canada. Katie and Dan asked how they could help. They were told that the first task was to form a sponsorship group and raise sufficient money to pay for both the short and long-term expenses required when the family came over, and that the group would be responsible for helping the family through their first 12 months in Canada.
In order to raise the funds and find the furniture and clothing, Katie and Dan created a sponsorship group, which included one of Dan’s colleagues, Lindsay Tate, and her husband, Mark Thibeault. Together, the group raised significant funds and gathered furniture and clothing in anticipation of the family’s arrival. People became aware of the group’s efforts and generous donations of time and much-needed items flooded in. In fact, so many friends and colleagues wanted to help that Katie and Dan recommended that people send their donations to other community agencies helping refugees.
When they first joined the group, Katie and Dan were informed that they were needed to host a family for a period of 2-6 weeks. They were matched with a Syrian family in October, 2015. This family consisted of three sisters, Tahani, Heba, and Aber, each of the sisters’ children, and Aber’s husband – in all, 10 family members.
Following the Liberal election victory, Katie and Dan realized that their family would likely arrive in the New Year, if not before. Katie and Dan had to act quickly – they were busy trial lawyers, the departure date for their honeymoon was fast approaching, and they had to find a place for their family to stay.
After much searching, they found the perfect home in North Edmonton. It had five bedrooms and was within their price range. Katie and Dan signed the lease and organized an evening for people to come to the house and drop off donations. Over a 36-hour period, more than 30 people came to the house toting furniture, clothes, and household items. Everyone pitched in to set things up. In record time, the house was transformed into a home. The bedrooms had backpacks filled with school supplies for each of the children, Arab-to-English books on the bookshelves, clothes in all of the closets, and the necessities the family would require to make a new start.
Katie and Dan were advised in early December, 2015, that Tahani, Heba and their children were on a flight list and could arrive at any time. They left on their honeymoon and felt guilty about not greeting the family when they arrived but knew there were many people to take care of the family during their absence. On December 28, 2015, Katie and Dan received text messages from home telling them that their family had arrived. As Katie and Dan read these messages, they cried tears of joy.
As you can imagine, what awaited Tahani and Heba’s families was new and strange. Lindsay and Mark took control and made sure that the family’s every need was met. Neither of them speak Arabic but found ways to communicate creatively. With the assistance of Google translate and hilarious hand signals, they were able to establish basic communication. Lindsay and Mark had their hands full as they contacted schools for the kids, set the family up with healthcare cards, looked into adult English classes, and took them grocery shopping to fill the cupboards. The first fun outing was to take the kids to a local trampoline park so Tahani could have a break. I can only imagine what her kids must have thought of that.
Katie and Dan arrived back home in Edmonton on New Year’s Eve. The first thing Katie did on New Year’s Day was to meet Tahani and the kids with Lindsay and Mark. They immediately brought the kids to Cloverdale Hill and went sledding. It was a warm winter afternoon on a busy hill filled with families. What could be more Canadian? The next day, everyone went swimming. After a quick stop to buy bathing suits, the kids played in the pool for hours. Afterward, Mark took the kids to get gold fish, as they missed having pets – and, as Mark will tell you, the excitement at the pet store was something to behold. Katie, Dan, Lindsay and Mark kept the kids busy for the last day of winter holidays, but the kids were eager to attend school. With Bob’s assistance, the group found Tahani’s kids a school and got them registered in classes.
Katie and Dan’s Syrian family is not much different from any of ours. They had a wonderful life prior to the war and in Tahani’s words, Syria used to be “heaven on earth.” The family members were business owners -- they had owned their own homes and had kept pets -- they had vehicles -- they had worked in good jobs. Before the war, they were just like us. But in so many other ways, their lives were so very different. Tahani’s husband was killed two years ago while walking to work. He was shot by government sniper fire. When he did not return home in the evening, Tahani went out looking for him, only to find him dead in the street. That was what convinced her that she had to leave.
Katie and Dan have been humbled by the strength, dignity and courage of their new Syrian family. They worry about what happens to those Syrian families who haven’t been so lucky with the same level of sponsor support. Charitable agencies and not-for-profits can only do so much, and more people need to reach out to provide both time and money to other needy families. Various agencies are accepting volunteers but emergency housing placements continue to be in short supply. The plight of Syrian refugees and the commitment to render aid and support Katie and Dan’s sponsorship group has brought the Edmonton Bar together in a way which is both impactful and which will likely endure. I’ve already mentioned the leadership and hard grassroots work undertaken by Bob, Maggie and Lindsay. Others who have played an important role in supporting the sponsorship group are: Mona Karout, Derek Jugnauth, Alan Pearse, Yasneem Nizam, Nathan Po, Kelly Dawson, L. Neil Gower, Q.C., Phil Lister, Ahmed Jomha, Mary C. Brebner, and Brian Beresh, Q.C.
Helping others and contributing to their profession is not something new for Katie and Dan – both of them were avid volunteers with Student Legal Services at U of A’s law school and Katie has served on this organization’s board since 2012. Dan is the VP of the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association in Edmonton while Katie sits as VP of the Edmonton Bar Association. Katie volunteers with the Elizabeth Fry Legal Clinic at the Edmonton Institution for Women. Katie is also part of a group that runs a yearly charitable event created in the Edmonton legal community called “Rock n Robes”. This event raises money for two wonderful child and youth charities: Youth Empowerment and Support Services (YESS), and Free Footie (a soccer program for kids from needy families). And, to keep things in the family, Dan’s firm, Pringle Chivers Sparks Teskey sponsors the event.
Katie, Dan, Bob, Maggie, Lindsay and all the other lawyers who have helped out in some way or another are Unsung Heroes – they represent some of the finest qualities of our profession and they do us proud.
Do you know an Unsung Hero? Tell us about them.
If you know a lawyer who deserves to be recognized, please send us an email to newslet@cba-alberta.org with the lawyer’s name and the reasons why you believe they are an “unsung hero”. The only formal requirements for nomination are that our “unsung hero” be an Alberta Lawyer and a CBA member.
Ola Malik is a Municipal Prosecutor with the City of Calgary, a CBA Partner Organization, where he writes frequently on cases involving Charter issues. Ola is a former co-chair of the CBA Alberta Access to Justice Committee and is a regular contributor to Law Matters.