The Ross family is thriving in South Surrey – which shouldn't be unexpected for anyone who's known them in the 16 years they've lived on the Peninsula.
Son Jason – who was born with Down syndrome – works at Semiahmoo House, has a girlfriend, Katie, and charms everyone he meets with his irrepressible sense of humour, while maintaining a busy social network.
Son Lee is a talented singer, guitarist and composer who has attracted interest of producers but is hard at work promoting his musical career independently through recording and online videos – and also has a girlfriend, Rayna.
Mom Charlene is involved both in the family businesses and in her own social network, which contributes to many worthy causes and charities in the community.
And dad Glenn is using his internationally-recognized expertise in setting up distribution systems for large retail corporations to build a new business venture, Cultura E Sapori, which will soon import high-end Italian and European food products – including everything from olive oil and pasta to chocolate – to Canadian and North American markets.
The tireless entrepreneur, who has a proud record of creating jobs and benefiting community programs, said he is streamlining supply procedures to ensure quality and consumer savings, but also plans to employ special-needs people, like Jason, as an integral part of the packaging and distribution process.
In many ways, they're a model Canadian family – which makes it all the more difficult to believe that just over a decade ago they were on the verge of leaving Canada forever.
In July 2001, the family, who first came to the country from their native South Africa in 1996, were the centre of a media storm when it was learned their application for landed immigrant status had been denied by Immigration Canada.
The reason? The Down syndrome of Jason, then 14, was cited as raising concerns that – in the words of a vice-consul's letter – he could "be expected to cause excessive demands on health or social services in Canada."
The bureaucratic response, based on a narrow set of criteria, was patently ridiculous, given Glenn's already impressive business background in Canada and demonstrable ability to provide for his family.
It was also outrageous to many who knew the Ross family – including Rick O'Connor, chief operating officer for Peace Arch News' parent company, Black Press.
Glenn credits O'Connor and stories about the family's plight in Peace Arch News with "triggering an avalanche" of media coverage and public support from as far afield as Sweden and Holland.
"All hell broke out," recalled Glenn with a grin. "We had three television crews coming over the wall at the same time."
Letters of protest poured in to then-immigration minister Elinor Caplan, while MP Val Meredith and MLA Gordon Hogg both got involved in pleading on behalf of the family, and the provincial government also brought its influence to bear on Ottawa, with premier Gordon Campbell going on record as saying the Ross family would not leave B.C.
Glenn laughingly said he later heard that even prime minister Jean Chretien, while on a flight to Moscow to pitch for a Canadian Olympic bid, had his ear bent by a Special Olympics supporter who pointed out the country was about to "kick out our Special Olympian from Vancouver." (Jason was then rated among the top five per cent of bowlers in his category in the country).
Glenn said that although he had been offered lucrative jobs in both the U.S. and Britain – and even though their legal fees mounted to some $70,000 – he was determined the family should stay in Canada, where there was ample evidence of a society and an educational system much more supportive of Jason than South Africa had ever been.
Glenn said he remembers appearing on an open-line radio program during the controversy, and being dismayed when a caller said, "I'm ashamed to be a Canadian."
"I said 'why?'" he said. "I told people, 'if I have a beef, it's with the Canadian government – I'm not going to run Canada down.'"
Eventually that attitude paid dividends when the political, public and media pressure softened the government's stance.
The family was informed it could re-apply for landed-immigrant status, but would have to go to the U.S. and physically re-enter at the border.
"We were all tense about it, and Charlene was really worried. But when we arrived at the border, the customs officer said, 'Ah, the Ross family.'
"He said, 'I want to thank you – you stood up for us (on the radio). Step inside and we'll make this as painless as we can.' And 45 minutes later, we were in."
The family, who have since become citizens, have no regrets about staying in Canada, particularly because of the difference it has made for Jason, Glenn said.
"There are varying degrees of Down syndrome, and he's one of the high-functioning ones," Glenn said, noting that Katie, who also has the same condition, has the same ability to work and socialize.
"Jason's the life of any party and he's created a social network second to none. He's on Skype, he's on speakerphone or cellphone, chatting with seven or eight people at the same time.
"He's really settled in – the best thing that could have happened to Jason Ross is coming to Canada."