How Thunder Bay became a hub for Karen people from Myanmar

People from the Karen Community of Canada (KCC) gathered in Thunder Bay Friday to celebrate 25 years of life in Canada.

The northwestern Ontario city became an unlikely hub for Karen culture after a local church sponsored some refugees 25 years ago. This grew to a community of over 300 Karen-Canadians in Thunder Bay. 

Karen are an ethnic minority in Myanmar. Many were displaced during the ongoing conflict between Myanmar's miltary government and Karen nationalists. This led many Karen to flee to refugee camps in Thailand. 

The military government has been increasingly using airstrikes in the past year to counter a widespread armed struggle against its rule, which began in February 2021 when it seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. More than 3,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed since then by security forces.

Prezena Htoo said she came to Canada as a refugee when she was 15, without any belongings or knowledge of English.

"I've never had anything to call home before, but Thunder Bay, it's home," Prezena Htoo said.

She was one of many Karen refugees sponsored by the First Presbyterian Church in Thunder Bay — the same church the KCC gathered at to mark their 25th anniversary. 

While her family has had opportunities to move elsewhere, Htoo said they chose to stay in Thunder Bay because of how much they value their connections to the community. 

Htoo said she's often emotional when she thinks of the first generation of Karen to be raised in Canada, away from the conflict in Myanmar.

"I have two small children, so I can't wait for them to grow up, to learn, to experience what Canada has to offer and to carve a pathway for themselves." 

Manerplaw Winning is a 19-year-old student born and raised in Thunder Bay. He said he's grateful his parents were able to find a safe home in Canada. Winning, who is headed to Queen's University on a football scholarship, said the Karen community in Thunder Bay helped support his dreams in sports and academia. 

"They work so hard for me," Winning said. "Not just my mom and my dad, my aunties, uncles. They're giving me rides, you know, they're helping me." 

Winning said that having connections to Karen culture is important to preserve their language, food, stories and ways of life.

"I think our ultimate goal, you know, at the end of the day is a free and independent state," said Winning.