Coquitlam's mayor is worried about the short timeline for accepting Syrian refugees into the city after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reaffirmed Canada's commitment to accept 25,000 to the country by year's end.
But Richard Stewart said he believes the Tri-Cities community will come through — as it always has — to accept those who need shelter from civil war and political and religious strife.
In fact, Coquitlam has a long history of welcoming refugees dating back to the early 1970s, when thousands of Ismaili Muslims were expelled from their African homelands, with some settling in the Tri-Cities.
"They're coming. Do we complain there's not enough time or do we put together the resources to welcome them?" Richard Stewart, Coquitlam mayor
Successive waves of refugees were also accepted here, including Vietnamese boat people in the early 1980s, displaced people from Kosovo in the late 1990s and Bhutanese refugees a few years ago, to name a few ethnic groups.
"We have welcomed as a community many refugees," Stewart said. "Ismaili Muslims from Uganda was the beginning of those waves of refugee families and many of them now are pillars of our community and leaders in business and philanthropy.
"I think our goal has to be to make sure these families that are coming have the greatest chance to thrive in Canada."
25% TO COQUITLAM
In fact, over the last five years, Coquitlam has been the number two destination in B.C. for refugees, after Surrey. The city typically takes about 25% of government-assisted refugees destined for the province, with numbers fluctuating depending on the year and federal resettlement processes.
The latest projections, although yet to be confirmed by the federal immigration, refugee and citizenship ministry, has the city possibly accepting 600 Syrian refugees, including 200 children, over the next several weeks.
The short-timeline has the mayor concerned although he is reasonably confident that local refugee-serving agencies will have systems in place to deal with the newcomers.
"I and others still have concerns about the schedule and the timing. This is a timing we haven't faced before: six weeks to identify the necessary programs and accommodations for 600 refugees. That's a tight timeframe."
And while the city isn't mandated to provide refugee services, a social planner is working with the Immigrant Services Society of BC to get an idea of the scope of the situation, and Stewart said he expects a report in the coming days.
NORTH ROAD HOUSING
One issue is finding homes for people and Coquitlam has been losing some of its affordable housing stock with the demolition of older apartments to make way for new condos along the Evergreen Line.
There may be an opportunity, however, to temporarily house families in apartments along the North Road corridor that have been cleared for demolition but haven't yet been torn down.
In the meantime, he said the community must come together and help out the new arrivals.
"They're coming. Do we complain there's not enough time or do we put together the resources to welcome them?" Stewart said, adding that he's heard from a lot of community groups and churches that are willing to accept war-weary Syrians with open arms.
"My focus now, and I think our focus is, that Coquitlam needs to do what is necessary so folks aren't homeless when they get here."
WHAT SYRIAN REFUGEES CAN EXPECT
Among the agencies with offices and programs serving refugees in the Tri-Cities are Immigrant Services Society of BC, SUCCESS and Share Family and Community Services. School District 43 also has Settlement Workers in Schools program, funded by the federal government, to help refugee children and their families integrate into the school system. Language services are also provided locally for adults needing to learn English and the province has committed $1 million in emergency settlement services.
Government-assisted refugees will live on federal resettlement income support for their first year in B.C., based on provincial welfare rates: $1,349 per month for a family of four to cover the cost of shelter, food and transportation.
Refugees who are sponsored by private groups or individuals will get income support from their sponsors for a year and help looking for a job.
Refugees will also be expected to pay back an interest-bearing transportation loan to cover their flights to Canada and their oversees medical examinations, which could be up to $10,000 depending on the family size and age of children.
It's likely some refugees will have to use food banks to make ends meet.
