Provinces preparing for incoming wave of migrants
Plans are taking shape in towns across Canada to help assist 25,000 Syrian refugees
In the coming weeks, 25,000 Syrian refugees are going to be spirited out of refugee camps in the Middle East and dispersed across Canada, from Cape Breton on the Atlantic coast to the Rocky Mountain getaway of Whistler, B.C., and many points in between. British Columbia 3,500 refugees The bulk of B.C.’s Syrian refugee population is expected to settle in the Lower Mainland area, which ensures access to language classes, health services and social supports. But towns such as Kelowna, Kamloops and even the winter getaway of Whistler are planning to sponsor refugee families, according to the city. Alberta Up to 3,000 Premier Rachel Notley says Syrian refugees will primarily be housed in five cities: Calgary, Edmonton, Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Red Deer. A rental housing company in the province, Boardwalk Rental Communities, is offering discounted rent for 350 refugee families for the next year. Saskatchewan Up to 2,000 Premier Brad Wall has previously said the province could take in 600 refugees, but plans appear to have developed beyond that. There are reportedly plans in place to bring about 800 Syrian refugees to both Regina and Saskatoon, as well as 200 each to Moose Jaw and Prince George. Manitoba Up to 2,000 Premier Greg Sellinger is fully behind the plan to bring 2,000 Syrian refugees to the province but is contending with a shortage of available rental housing. “We obviously want to do it so they have a permanent place in Manitoba,” he told reporters last week. Ontario 10,000 The Greater Toronto Area will likely shoulder much of the load, but mayors from across the province are standing behind the plan, including those in Hamilton, London, Ottawa and Kingston, according to local mayors. CFB Trenton will also play a crucial role as a transportation hub, while other bases in Petawawa, Borden and Meaford could serve as temporary shelter facilities for many of the newly arrived refugees, according to a military spokesperson. Quebec 5,750 The bulk of the Syrian refugees will resettle in Montreal and Laval, but 800 are expected in Quebec City, according to the city’s mayor.
In all, the Quebec government says 13 cities across the province, including Gatineau, Sherbrooke, Saint-Hyacinthe and Drummondville, have been designated to accept refugees based on health infrastructure and housing availability. New Brunswick 1,500 CFB Gagetown, which housed hundreds of Kosovar refugees in 1999s, is being set up as a processing centre for Syrian refugees, according to local reports. Refugee resettlement groups are reportedly preparing to receive 300 refugees each in Moncton, Fredericton and Saint John. Nova Scotia 600-700 Local reports have suggested that CFB Cornwallis, a former military base with 185 rooms in the town of Deep Brook, could serve as a temporary lodging.
Ten families are destined for Cape Breton before Christmas, with dozens more to follow, according to a local group, Lifeline Syria-Cape Breton. Prince Edward Island 100 families Canada’s smallest province will also do its part. Premier Wade MacLauchlan has committed to taking in 100 families — likely between 300 and 400 people. Newfoundland and Labrador Unknown A provincial election is underway and there has been no figures given for the number of refugees expected in the province. However, Labrador Liberal MP Yvonne Jones has proposed that CFB Goose Bay, an air force base responsible mostly for search and rescue operations, be used to process refugees arriving in the country.