Waterloo Region steps up refugee resettlement efforts
Posted Feb 24, 2016 04:22:26 PM.
Last Updated Feb 24, 2016 07:44:31 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
As Canada continues to assist in resettlement efforts for Syrian refugees, our local mayors, citizens and community groups have stepped up their relief efforts.
Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic and Waterloo Mayor Dave Jaworsky, along with our local fire chiefs took today as an opportunity to visit Reception House, a temporary home for government assisted refugees.
Both mayors said it was heart-warming to meet with dozens of newcomers to our Region, and both noted the continued need for suitable housing locally for refugee families.
“These people do have larger families than us typically,” said Jaworsky. “We need to start looking harder for where we are going to be able to allow these families to make their permanent homes, so that is something I am going to take away and work on myself.”
The challenge was echoed by Vrbanovic, who said that organizations like Reception House have been busy this year.
“The other challenge is just the workload,” said Vrbanovic. “[Reception House] in a average year welcomes about 240 new Canadians into our community. They’ve obviously done considerably more than that in just the last few months.”
Almost two months into this year 943 government and privately sponsored refugees settled in Waterloo Region. Vrbanovic notes this is a challenge, but one that the community has been up for.
“It has been tremendous to see how, not only in our community, but really in communities across the country, people have come together. They’ve donated significant amounts of money … put in literally thousands of hours of volunteer time to welcome these (new) Canadians.”
To aide in the effort, it was announced today that The Immigration Partnership will receive applications in order to provide grants to community agencies and private sponsors directly involved in the resettlement process. (More information can be found here.)
In 2016 Vrbanovic said Waterloo Region has already donated more than $100,000 to a fund for Syrian newcomers. The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation has matched this, making the total over $200,000. The Cambridge and North Dumfries Community Foundation has started collecting donations as well.
“It has in many ways become the kind of nation-building initiative that both Governor General David Johnston and Prime Minister Trudeau have talked about.”
