Meet the Syrian refugee who owns the biggest international grocery store in Atlantic Canada
Behind Rafat Harb’s warm demeanour and welcoming smile is a personal history of terrible hardships.
“It was not always easy,” said Rafat.
Rafat was only a teenager when he was forced to flee the Syrian civil war. He and his family spent three years in a refugee camp in Jordan before coming to Canada in 2016.
Within two weeks after arriving in Halifax, the Syrian refugee took on a graveyard shift shovelling snow. Rafat said he was determined to invest his earnings into starting his own business.
"When we came to Canada, we couldn't find the types of groceries that we would eat in the Middle East,” Rafat explained.
A few business ventures and a pandemic later, Syriana Market in Halifax is now the largest international grocery store in Atlantic Canada. The business has even expanded to include its own line of products.
“We have the restaurant, dine-in, as well as the grocery,” Rafat said. “It’s very multicultural,”
At just 24 years old, Rafat is the oldest of eight siblings, who all became Canadian citizens in 2019.
Mohammad Harb says he is proud of all of his children and their accomplishments.
“One of my daughters is in her fourth year of dentistry at Dalhousie University,” Mohammad said. “The other is studying International Law in her third year.”
Half of the Harb family lives with muscular dystrophy. In 2017, Marwa Harb, who was just 16 years old at the time, flew to Ottawa through the Children’s Wish Foundation to personally thank Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for saving her life.
“He helped everyone,” said Marwa in an interview on CTV News at 5 in 2017. “He helped me get treatment and my surgery. He helped me a lot. He brought my life back.”
Their story has come full circle. Rafat has made it his mission to employ newcomers at his market to help them learn English while connecting with other members of their communities.
“I have over 35 years’ experience as a butcher,” said Mohammad Alzoubi, who runs the meat counter at Syriana Market. “The work is the same, it's just the communication that has changed.”
“People can come here and meet others in their community while practising English,” said Rafat.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Millions of cyberattacks per hour as B.C. government investigates multiple breaches
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
New 'Lord of the Rings' film coming in 2026
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.