So Jim decided he would take matters into his own hands – he would spend 1.5m Canadian dollars ($1.1m; £910,000) of his own money bringing Syrian refugees from the Middle East to his home city of Guelph, Ontario, some 60 miles (95km) west of Toronto.
He was able to do this thanks to a Canadian scheme called the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program. Introduced 41 years ago, originally to help people fleeing the aftermath of the Vietnam War, it allows private citizens to welcome and settle refugees in Canada. The catch is that they have to commit to covering the expenses of the new arrivals for the first year.
So Jim paid for an initial 50 Syrian families to relocate to Guelph (population 135,000). Putting some up in his own house, he also rallied church groups and 800 volunteers across the city, and worked closely with the local Islamic society.
People provided spare rooms, or helped find empty apartments, and the Salvation Army took the lead in collecting donated clothes to help the refugees stay warm during Canada’s cold winters. Meanwhile, Jim arranged for each Syrian family to have access to both English and Arabic mentors, so they could get their children enrolled in schools, start looking for jobs, get bank accounts and so on.
He was also able to give 28 refugees full-time work at the company he owns and runs, the Canadian home appliances firm Danby. This CA$400m annual turnover business has its headquarters in Guelph. For other Syrians, Jim provided the financial guarantees to enable them to set up shops in the city, and launch other business ventures.
Jim has now helped sponsor 89 Syrian families – more than 300 people. “It’s about the settlement of these good people, and helping them through a hard time,” he says.
Ahmad Abed, one of the Syrians who now lives in Guelph, fled his homeland in 2016 after he was hit by shrapnel from a bomb attack in the city of Homs. “Thanks to Mr Estill, and the sponsorship programme, Guelph is my new home,” he says. “My wife has even started a socks store in downtown.”
