In truth, it was the year of the election. Allan’s run for office in Huron-Bruce became an all-consuming family affair and the experience of a lifetime. Allan had re-located to Glammis and spent all but a few days there up to the fateful Oct. 19 vote. Laith gave up much of his

summer vacation to campaign and Roula also got in on the action as well. In the end , A l l a n c ame s e cond to t he Conservative incumbent, but garnered more than 23,000 votes and made friends for a lifetime. Roula and Laith held down the fort in Ottawa as Laith entered Grade 11 at Glebe Collegiate and once again took up his place on the football team. Having passed his milestone birthday of 16, Laith got his beginner’s driving license this year and was able to make himself even more useful on the campaign trail. Roula’s frantic work schedule at the International Development Research Centre took her to the Middle East and North Africa. She and Laith also went to Miami for their annual March break bonding. Roula too hit a milestone birthday this year, turning 50. We celebrated the event with friends and family at the King’s Pearl

pub in Tiverton. Roula’s close friend Ann Laubstein - who spent part of her childhood in Kincardine - made a surprise trip for the surprise party. And for the first time in years. Roula was able to see her brothers Hussein and Oussama and some of their family not once, but twice this year during business trips to Lebanon.

Election campaign one highlight of a year of milestone birthdays, family firsts and travel

The Rifai-Thompsons2015 YEAR IN REVIEW FROM ROULA EL-RIFAI , ALLAN THOMPSON & LAITH RIFAI-THOMPSON PRICELESS

Allan ran for office in Huron-Bruce, Roula turned 50 and Laith got his first job and driver’s license

The extended family continues to growThe Thompson family gained a few new members this year. Gordon’s son Michael married his sweetheart Michelle in a beautiful ceremony on the beach in Kincardine. Nancy’s son Pete and his wife Erin gave birth to their first child, Heath, in July. In November, Tom’s son Kenny and his girlfriend Tiffany brought their little girl Lilith into the world. More additions are planned for 2016. Gordon’s oldest, Sean, will marry Karren Maki on Aug. 20, in Kincardine.

Heath

Lilith

Roula with nieces Joanna and Tamara and brothers Hussein and Oussama

ROULA

HER ONGOING ROLE AS A MIDDLE EAST SPECIALIST WITH THE!INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT!RESEARCH CENTRE (IDRC) MAKES WEEKS OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL A CERTAINTY FOR ROULA IN THE YEAR AHEAD. BUT SHE STILL FINDS TIME FOR HER OTHER PASSION, TENNIS. SHE STILL PLAYS OFTEN AND IN AN ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE WITH LAITH, ATTENDS THE ROGERS CUP TOURNAMENT.

LAITH

HEADING INTO THE SECOND HALF OF GRADE 11, LAITH WILL SOON TURN HIS ATTENTION TO HIS FUTURE, WITH THE END OF HIGH SCHOOL ONLY A YEAR AWAY. SPORTS REMAIN HIS ACTIVE INTEREST, BUT HE ALSO HAS A HANKERING FOR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL AND HAS BECOME A BIT OF A FOODIE. NOW 6 FEET TALL, HE WILL PRESUMABLY STOP GROWING EVENTUALLY.

ALLAN

WILL BE TEACHING THE JOUR1000 FIRST-YEAR JOURNALISM COURSE AT CARLETON AS WELL AS A SECOND-YEAR REPORTING SKILLS COURSE. PLANS TO REMAIN ACTIVELY INVOLVED WITH THE HURON-BRUCE FEDERAL LIBERAL ASSOCIATION AND ALSO SUPPORT THE NEW TRUDEAU GOVERNMENT HOWEVER HE CAN. ALSO TOOK A BIT OF A BREAK IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER AFTER A CRAZY YEAR.

Work, travel, politics continue to dominate Roula had an interesting year at IDRC. She designed and updated her Middle East strategy to feed into IDRC’s new 5-year strategic plan. She plans to focus her work on promoting youth civic engagement, support to thinking about local, national and regional solutions to the problems of vulnerable displaced populations, more specifically the Syrian refugee problem; how to reduce gender-based violence; and promoting debates around reforming the security sector. She began projects with research partners on the issue of youth role models, reforming Islamic family law to prevent gender-based violence, promoting a culture of research ethics in the social sciences in the Arab world, in addition to a project on the political representation of the Kurds and the Amazighe in the region. She travelled less given her part-time contribution to Allan’s campaign but made it to Lebanon,  Jordan, Palestine, Turkey and Tunisia this year. Roula was also heavily involved in the process of launching a union within IDRC.  

Allan’s life was almost entirely dominated by one thing this year, his run for office as the federal Liberal candidate in Huron-Bruce, the riding where he was born and raised and where his extended family lives. In the end, it was not to be, but Allan won more than 23,000 votes and put the Liberals in a solid second place against the Conservative incumbent. It was the experience of a lifetime and Allan will be eternally grateful to all those who helped, his entire family and notably, campaign manager Rod MacDonald. Allan plans to remain involved with Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government but for now at least, his day job will be back at Carleton, teaching journalism. He has several writing projects on the go, the first being a chapter about the experience of being a candidate, which will be published later this

year in a book produced by Carleton about the recent election campaign. Allan plans to remain very involved in politics by actively supporting the Trudeau administration. The only firm travel plan so far is a trip to the Scottish Isle of Tiree in late May with his Mom, sister

Nancy and her husband Stuart.

It was another busy year of sports, school and a couple of personal milestones for Laith, who turned 16 this year and started driving. He also gave up much of his summer vacation to help Allan on the campaign trail, appearing in parades, canvassing door-to-door and also doing some social media work in the Kincardine office with campaign manager Rod MacDonald. Laith was back at Glebe Collegiate this year in Grade 11 where he once again played on the football team, which went to the city finals. He played houseleague basketball and in the spring he was on the ball hockey team. Laith worked for a week in Walton at the Edge of Walton challenge course, as a counsellor with young people. He also managed to get away from the campaign to take in a Jays game mid-summer. Away from home, he ventured to Miami over March Break, taking in a Miami Heat basketball game with Mom.

He and Roula also took in the Rogers Cup tennis tournament in Montreal. And just before Christmas, Laith and Allan jetted off to New York for four days on a professional sport extravaganza, taking in the NFL New York Giants vs Carolina Panthers, hockey’s New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals and in basketball, the New York Knicks vs Orlando Magic. This passion for sports and travel does make you wonder if a career in sports journalism might be in the cards.

Laith plays football, basketball and ball hockey, holds down his first job, gets his beginner’s license and travels the world

A YEAR IN PICTURES

CAMPAIGNING WITH DAD IN A FALL FAIR PARADE

ATTENDED THE CFL EASTERN FINAL

MIAMI BEACH

WENT TO P.M. JUSTIN TRUDEAU’S SWEARING IN

Laith worked as a counsellor for youth at the Edge of Walton challenge course. He also took in an NFL game between the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers

SOME OF THIS YEAR’S TRAVEL

SOME FAMILY HAPPENINGS

New driver

St. Patrick’s Day with siblings

Roula with brothers Oussama and Hussein

Meeting Alice Munro

50th

Mom named as church elder

Thompson Christmas in Kincardine

Surridge Reunion

Nieces Tamara and Joanna

Sister Nancy retires

ON THE C AMPAIGN TRAIL

Constant companions Mike Lapointe and Justin AnstettAllan’s favourite campaign

photo, taken by Laith

MORE OF THE C AMPAIGN TRAIL

With Glammis friend Lisa Moore

The essential Rod MacDonald and Duncan Jewell

SOME RANDOM MOMENTS

Roula’s stepmother Badrieh turned 80

Dear friend Ann Laubstein put the surprise in surprise party at Roula’s 50th

Roula got to spend time with Beirut friends Wajdi and Ghada

Roula met in Beirut with her

old friend Salam, and in Exeter with CBC’s Peter Mansbridge

Halloween decor

cottage fun

Joanna and Rayan in

Beirut

Laith and cousin Diane

Hussein and Rayan lay out the Christmas turkey

at home in Beirut