Mergim and Leutrim Veliu were seven and five years-old when their family immigrated to Canada as refugees in 1999 during Canada’s response to UNHCR’s call to help with the refugee crisis overflowing Macedonia and Albania.

When Mergim, the eldest, stepped foot into the Royal Airforce plane, he was fascinated by it, he had no idea that one day he would be on the commercial plane’s pilot seat.

Both brothers stayed at the Halifax military base during the first few months in Canada until they got settled in what became nicknamed as ‘Little Kosovo’ a part of Clayton Park’s community in Halifax where a large number of Kosovo refugees settled. The Veliu brothers attended school and grew up in the area. During their childhood, they cherished the privilege of living in Canada and consistently made plans and set goals to give back to the country that embraced them. They remember and also value their humble beginnings, only a few years after settling into a new life, a new routine in Canada, they would tragically lose their father. The Veliu brothers would later become translators for their single refugee mother and quickly earn their independence.

Mergim's journey from refugee to First Officer for a major Canadian airline embodies unwavering determination. His dream took flight during his journey to Canada, where he discovered the joy of aviation. Since that westbound flight, he has always associated flying with a sense of freedom and boundless happiness. Prior to joining the airline, Mergim served as a Flight Instructor, then rose to the role of Chief Flight Instructor at a flight school in Nova Scotia. Later, he conducted surveillance missions for a Halifax-based company, specializing in maritime surveillance for the Canadian Government. After accumulating invaluable experience, he transitioned to airline operations, initially as a First Officer and eventually as a Captain on an Embraer 175. Today, Mergim takes immense pride in flying the Canadian flag.

His brother, Leutrim graduated from College in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 2017 with a focus on Law Enforcement. In 2018, he became a Correctional Officer with Correctional Services Canada, driven by a strong desire to give back to Canada. Leutrim's commitment reflects his dedication to upholding peace and fostering positive change within his community and Canada. Both brothers feel fortunate to be in Canada because of its reputation for providing safety, stability, and countless opportunities for their family. We are proud to be Canadian while also maintaining our Albanian heritage and are a prime example of resilience, hard work and opportunity.

Last week, Kicker Lirim Hajrullahu was seen on the football field holding the Grey Cup with Toronto Argonauts. Hajrullahu is completing his 11th professional CFL season with the Argonauts and will go on to play in his third Grey Cup. But before he was a professional football player, he was a young boy with a big dream in a small country in the heart of Europe, caught in the middle of war. Kosovo.

Given his background, Lirim's name comes with a story. 'Lirim' meaning freedom, fitting for the family at such a historically challenging time. Lirim named following the release of 14 Albanians from Serbia’s prison at the time of his birth, including a Politician and Lawyer. According to a report by International Crisis Group, during those times several thousands of Albanians would find themselves in Serbia’s prisons for political reasons including activism, freedom of speech violations by Serbia and for even just uttering words in their mother tongue, Albanian.

But the young boy from Gjilan, Kosovo was raised in the town of Perlepnica; a town of activists, famous politicians and artists. Little did the family know that his name would also be fitting to his very own experience where he became a child of war in 1999 during Serbia’s ethnic cleansing in Kosovo. Hajrullahu would be spending nearly a month in Macedonia's refugee camp before coming to Kingston, Ontario during ‘Operation Parasol’ Canada’s emergency program in response to UNHCR in airlifting over 5,000 refugees. As for the political arrests by Serbian forces during the conflict, according to ICG, Albanians that were detained were transferred to Serbian jails and penitentiaries following the reached agreement that brought the NATO air campaign to an end and requesting the withdrawal of all Serbian forces from Kosovo bringing the war to a halt.

As Operation Parasol marked 25 years this year reminding 34-year-old Hajrullahu of challenging and humbling beginnings, professionally, this season, he made a return to the Toronto Agronauts setting career highs in the field. He told The Toronto Star, “As a kicker you strive for those moments, you want to be put in those positions where guys trust you to make those final kicks,” he said. He began his professional career in 2014 starting out with the Winnipeg Bombers where he’s played at U.S. teams as well such as with the Los Angeles Rams, Carolina, Washington, and Dallas.

Since arriving in Canada at the age of 16-years-old as a refugee, Remzi Cej hasn’t stopped sharing his stories with many organizations, events and people from all walks of life. From holding TED Talks to advancing human rights as a chief commissioner, Remzi Cej has been an inspiring voice for refugees, immigrants, and overall newcomers in Canada. Upon arriving to Canada as refugees escaping the war in Kosovo in 1999, Cej’s family settled in Newfoundland where they have been living since their arrival in Canada. But 25 years ago, his life hung by a thread in Kosovo where a pistol was pointed at his head due to his bravery, standing up to help others, leading his life to rely on a piece of jewelry his mother carried, and gave it up in an attempt to save her son’s life. This took place as they were forced out of their hometown Mitrovica, which was ambushed by Serbian forces.

Professionally, He is a Rhodes scholar, recipient of the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award, and two-time recipient of the YMCA Human Rights Medallion. He’s worked for United Nations Association of Canada and a founding member of Bridge to the Rock, a volunteer organization that sponsored LGBTQ+ refugees from around the world to name a few. But what makes Cej’s story unique is not only his professional life. It’s his poise, determination and being a leader of change for not just Kosovo refugees. At the age of 17, Cej came out to his family as gay. Being gay in Kosovo can be challenging as stereotypes toward minority groups persist, despite the country's major achievements, including holding the biggest Pride celebrations in southeast Europe. Cej says he has been lucky as he has not been marginalized by the Albanian community in Newfoundland and overall, in Canada, where he says he’s been supported. He has been active in the social justice community, particularly in advocacy for 2SLGBTQIA+.

Cej says being in Canada has given him the support, and tools to use his story to empower others but it all began from an accepting family where he was allowed to be and express himself. He says he did meet Canadians who have faced stigma and were marginalized or feared coming out because of the same stigma many in Kosovo face. But Cej’s mother Hafize is a prime example of a woman of strength and courage. Not only by accepting and supporting her son’s identity, a bold move for a newcomer family, learning a new language, a new culture faced with an influx of differences and changes. But she also faced other difficulties as Cej’s late brother was missing due to the war, for six years. Adnan was sent to stay with his uncle in Turkiye during the war to keep him safe from being targeted by Serbian police due to his disability as he was deaf in his early twenties and that put him at high risk. But his brother’s journey took a wrong turn, as he lost contact with his uncle and the family.

The family believed and feared Adnan was killed during the war by Serbian military before he was found in Turkiye; recognized on local news by a Kosovar teacher while vacationing who saw Adnan sharing his story as he was searching for his lost family. While Canada gave the family the chance of reunification, Cej's brother “passed away last year, reminders of him missing for nearly six years are even more painful” says Cej. This year, as Kosovo refugees marked 25 years in Canada remembering their humble beginnings and recognizing Canada’s outstanding contribution of ‘Operation Parasol’ Cej attended the anniversary events in Halifax at Pier21 in May and in Toronto at Carleton University this month in Toronto, sharing his triumph and his pain and remembering that peace does not come without a price and for some families it was the ultimate loss, including his. “I’m feeling grateful for both of my homes".