From 1979 onwards, some members of the Québec City clergy became involved in sponsoring refugees from Southeast Asia. This was the case of Father Fernand Bernier from the Notre-Dame-du-Chemin parish who welcomed four newcomers from Cambodia: Rathana San, El-Kannina San, Malis San and Meala San. They were among the first to flee their war-torn country by boat, which is why these Southeast Asian refugees became known as “boat people.”