Refugee/Migrant Crisis
- Thread starter Tecumsehsbones
- Start date
Why is it defying physics? I get that you haven't seen the sun since October let alone in March when we are closest to the sun but snow does melt in sub zero temperatures.
This is -4°
This is -4°
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I spend 6 months in Dawson Creek. Never intend to suffer that kind of cold again.
Hard to teach an old dog new tricks , I will stay wet and warm thanks .
Niagara Falls in 'crisis,' coping with Roxham Rd. asylum seekers
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Mar 06, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
Calling it a humanitarian “crisis,” the mayor of Niagara Falls is urging Ottawa to do more than just drop migrants off in the tourist city.
Calling it a humanitarian “crisis,” the mayor of Niagara Falls is urging Ottawa to do more than just drop migrants off in the tourist city.
Calling it a humanitarian “crisis” resulting in some children not being properly fed, the mayor of Niagara Falls is urging Ottawa to do more than just drop migrants off in the famous tourist city.
“It is a crisis,” said Mayor Jim Diodati Monday.
With no end in sight!
“It was a crisis before they started showing up, and now we are saying, ‘Let’s work together to fix this,’” said the mayor, who has respectfully told Immigration Minister Sean Fraser “don’t just drop your problem on our doorstep. Let’s work together and figure this out.”
The honeymoon capital of the world has now become Canada’s centre for housing refugee applicants. Via the United States, people are flooding in at the Roxham Rd. border point in Quebec from Haiti, Mexico, Sudan and other countries. They’re being bused to Cornwall, Windsor and Niagara Falls.
“They are coming from dozens of countries,” said Diodati. “I think it’s probably around 2,000 rooms, with an average of three per room. That would put us with more than 5,000 refugee seekers at a given time.”
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says “as of Feb. 26, 4,313 asylum claimants have been transferred from (from Roxham Rd.) to Niagara Falls” since June of 2022.
But Diodati said that number is low, based on numerous buses arriving in March and from discussions with hoteliers who know the number of rooms they are billing the government. There are so many refugee claimants that “homeless people” are being evicted out of local motels to make more space for asylum applicants.
It all started with just a couple of bus loads. Niagara was told the situation was “temporary” and urged to “keep it quiet” about.
“We went from 87 rooms to 2,000,” said the mayor. “It doesn’t look temporary at all. It’s obviously grown into much more.”
Every day there are new busloads from Roxham Rd. and for next week’s March break, Niagara will be shared by families on vacation and internationals seeking refuge.
“We are grateful, if we can help,” said Diodati. “We are a nation of immigrants. We get it. We always do our part. Church groups and service clubs have stepped up with boots, clothes, hats and coats.”
So have other city and regional social services.
But local taxpayers are “out of pocket for a lot of things,” said Diodati, adding there has been no federal aid earmarked for this issue. “Ontario works, public health staff, our soup kitchens and food banks, health clinics, hospitals, schools having had to bring in more teachers” are examples of additional services required as a result of the influx.
While he understands Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government needs to work out immigration and border procedures with President Joe Biden before there’s any permanent fix, Diodati noted the mounting financial and human costs.
“We don’t know where this is going?” said Diodati, adding he would like to see the federal government be “more transparent about what is actually happening and what their intentions are.”
Government bureaucracy moving at a snail’s pace could pose dangers to the vulnerable.
“In talking to some schools, the principals were saying some of the kids are complaining they are showing up hungry, saying they didn’t eat,” said Diodati.
This is unacceptable and untenable.
“The federal government says they give money for three-meals a day, $75 per day to the hotel to get them three meals,” said Diodati. “Some do buffets and some do box lunches, and they said that shouldn’t be the case.”
But Diodati told the government, “I don’t know what to tell you, but it is the case. Our food bank (usage) is up 85%, so they are clearly utilizing our local food services. There seems to be a break in the system.”
He wants Ottawa to send nutritionists and “interpreters” to help make sure people are comfortable.
“We are happy to do our part,” said Diodati. “But tourism season is knocking on our door. We are coming off three years of devastation from COVID and are trying to get back on our feet. At the very least, we need to be privy to the plan.”
So far, that plan is busing in asylum seekers to a city known for having a lot of hotel rooms.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Joe Warmington
Published Mar 06, 2023 • Last updated 1 day ago • 3 minute read
Calling it a humanitarian “crisis,” the mayor of Niagara Falls is urging Ottawa to do more than just drop migrants off in the tourist city.
Calling it a humanitarian “crisis,” the mayor of Niagara Falls is urging Ottawa to do more than just drop migrants off in the tourist city.
Calling it a humanitarian “crisis” resulting in some children not being properly fed, the mayor of Niagara Falls is urging Ottawa to do more than just drop migrants off in the famous tourist city.
“It is a crisis,” said Mayor Jim Diodati Monday.
With no end in sight!
“It was a crisis before they started showing up, and now we are saying, ‘Let’s work together to fix this,’” said the mayor, who has respectfully told Immigration Minister Sean Fraser “don’t just drop your problem on our doorstep. Let’s work together and figure this out.”
The honeymoon capital of the world has now become Canada’s centre for housing refugee applicants. Via the United States, people are flooding in at the Roxham Rd. border point in Quebec from Haiti, Mexico, Sudan and other countries. They’re being bused to Cornwall, Windsor and Niagara Falls.
“They are coming from dozens of countries,” said Diodati. “I think it’s probably around 2,000 rooms, with an average of three per room. That would put us with more than 5,000 refugee seekers at a given time.”
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says “as of Feb. 26, 4,313 asylum claimants have been transferred from (from Roxham Rd.) to Niagara Falls” since June of 2022.
But Diodati said that number is low, based on numerous buses arriving in March and from discussions with hoteliers who know the number of rooms they are billing the government. There are so many refugee claimants that “homeless people” are being evicted out of local motels to make more space for asylum applicants.
It all started with just a couple of bus loads. Niagara was told the situation was “temporary” and urged to “keep it quiet” about.
“We went from 87 rooms to 2,000,” said the mayor. “It doesn’t look temporary at all. It’s obviously grown into much more.”
Every day there are new busloads from Roxham Rd. and for next week’s March break, Niagara will be shared by families on vacation and internationals seeking refuge.
“We are grateful, if we can help,” said Diodati. “We are a nation of immigrants. We get it. We always do our part. Church groups and service clubs have stepped up with boots, clothes, hats and coats.”
So have other city and regional social services.
But local taxpayers are “out of pocket for a lot of things,” said Diodati, adding there has been no federal aid earmarked for this issue. “Ontario works, public health staff, our soup kitchens and food banks, health clinics, hospitals, schools having had to bring in more teachers” are examples of additional services required as a result of the influx.
While he understands Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government needs to work out immigration and border procedures with President Joe Biden before there’s any permanent fix, Diodati noted the mounting financial and human costs.
“We don’t know where this is going?” said Diodati, adding he would like to see the federal government be “more transparent about what is actually happening and what their intentions are.”
Government bureaucracy moving at a snail’s pace could pose dangers to the vulnerable.
“In talking to some schools, the principals were saying some of the kids are complaining they are showing up hungry, saying they didn’t eat,” said Diodati.
This is unacceptable and untenable.
“The federal government says they give money for three-meals a day, $75 per day to the hotel to get them three meals,” said Diodati. “Some do buffets and some do box lunches, and they said that shouldn’t be the case.”
But Diodati told the government, “I don’t know what to tell you, but it is the case. Our food bank (usage) is up 85%, so they are clearly utilizing our local food services. There seems to be a break in the system.”
He wants Ottawa to send nutritionists and “interpreters” to help make sure people are comfortable.
“We are happy to do our part,” said Diodati. “But tourism season is knocking on our door. We are coming off three years of devastation from COVID and are trying to get back on our feet. At the very least, we need to be privy to the plan.”
So far, that plan is busing in asylum seekers to a city known for having a lot of hotel rooms.
WARMINGTON: Niagara Falls in 'crisis,' coping with Roxham Rd. asylum seekers
Calling it a humanitarian “crisis,” the mayor of Niagara Falls is urging Ottawa to do more than just drop migrants off in the tourist city.
Was he the dumbfukk from texas that was headed for Alaska with skis on his car looking for snow in July? Not kidding. The guy actually stopped us on the main road in Dawson Creek and asked how much farther he had to go to find snow. He seemed to think anything North of Montana had snow all year round.
No, "he" was the cute chick in Dawson's Creek. Married Tom Cruise for a while.
Could have gone skiing on Whistlers glacier .
Ontario mayors seek help, clarity from Ottawa to support Roxham Rd. asylum seekers
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Fakiha Baig
Published Mar 08, 2023 • 4 minute read
The mayors of three cities along Ontario's southern border are calling on the federal government to provide a concrete plan on how to support an influx of asylum seekers being transported to their communities from an unofficial port of entry in Quebec.
The mayors of three cities along Ontario's southern border are calling on the federal government to provide a concrete plan on how to support an influx of asylum seekers being transported to their communities from an unofficial port of entry in Quebec.
The mayors of three Ontario cities are calling on the federal government to help them support asylum seekers being transferred to their communities after entering the country through an unofficial border crossing in Quebec.
The leaders of Niagara Falls, Cornwall and Windsor say local supports are being stretched to capacity as migrants who crossed into Canada via Roxham Road arrive in increasing numbers. In addition to federal funding, they’re seeking clarity from Ottawa on what lies ahead.
“We need to know the plan,” Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said in an interview. “Don’t just tell us the plan, let’s develop it together.”
Roxham Rd. is an irregular border crossing on a country road stretching from New York state to Quebec, about 50 kilometres south of Montreal. In 2021, 4,246 migrants entered Canada via Roxham Road, with that number jumping to nearly 40,000 last year, the federal government has said.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada said the government began transferring asylum claimants to various cities in Ontario in June last year, after Quebec voiced concerns the migrants were placing pressure on publicly funded services and accommodation.
The department said 7,131 people have been transferred to Ontario communities so far — 4,313 to Niagara Falls, 1,396 to Cornwall, 720 to Windsor and 702 to Ottawa.
“IRCC is now in the process of working with other provinces and municipalities to identify new destinations that have the capacity to accommodate asylum seekers,” spokesman Remi Lariviere said, noting that Atlantic provinces have received a few dozen asylum seekers.
Diodati said the federal government initially approached his city last summer and said 87 hotel rooms were needed for asylum seekers.
“They didn’t want this to be public so we thought that’s fine, we’ll do our part. Then it quickly went to 300, then 687, 2,000, and it’s gotten much bigger,” he said.
The city now needs Ottawa to provide guidance on how the community can support the growing number of asylum seekers, Diodati said.
Niagara Falls has also asked Ottawa for $5 million to support local food banks and legal aid groups, the mayor said.
In Cornwall, Mayor Justin Towndale is seeking similar support from the federal government.
He said his eastern Ontario city has been doing “the Canadian thing” and supporting the migrants but needs clarity on long-term plans.
“In this case, the initial communication wasn’t there,” Towndale said in a phone interview. “We were having meetings with IRCC on a regular basis but they weren’t really giving us updates to their plan.”
Cornwall has brought on more staff to support asylum seekers who have arrived, Towndale said, and the city is asking the federal government for $2 million to fund those extra city employees.
There are also concerns about the effects of having many hotel rooms in the city booked up by the federal government to house the asylum seekers, Towndale said. Cornwall recently lost two conferences because organizers couldn’t find enough hotel rooms, he noted, and future sporting events hosted in the city could face similar issues.
In Niagara Falls, Diodati said there are concerns about fewer hotel rooms being available for tourists as summer approaches.
“Tourists fan out, they go to the restaurants, the attractions, the golf courses, the wineries,” he said. “There’s a lot of mom-and-pop operators in Niagara Falls that count on that rubber tire and the overnight traffic to visit the city.”
Syed Hussan, the executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, criticized the suggestion that having migrants take up hotel rooms would hit tourism operations and other businesses hard.
“There’s a lot of hysteria that’s been generated,” he said. “Part of this is the fact that these are poor, racialized Black, brown people who are walking in the downtowns of these tourist centres.”
Drew Dilkens, the mayor of Windsor, said his city has been acting on the Canadian principle “to help people who need help.”
“But at the end of the day, we have to find a pathway to do this in a sensible way, in a smart way,” he said. “The city is feeling the strain.”
Dilkens said, however, that having asylum seekers choose to settle in Windsor would be a benefit for the city.
“We may be able to find people who are skilled and want to work and that would be great for our local economy,” he said.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada said Canada is continuing to work with the U.S. on strengthening the Safe Third Country Agreement.
The agreement prevents people who come to Canada from the U.S. via official land border crossings from claiming asylum in Canada. But if asylum seekers cross through unofficial border crossings, such as Roxham Road, they avoid the application of the agreement and can proceed with a claim for asylum.
The Ontario mayors say they are expecting more guidance from the federal government in the coming weeks, after U.S. President Joe Biden makes a visit to Canada this month.
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Fakiha Baig
Published Mar 08, 2023 • 4 minute read
The mayors of three cities along Ontario's southern border are calling on the federal government to provide a concrete plan on how to support an influx of asylum seekers being transported to their communities from an unofficial port of entry in Quebec.
The mayors of three cities along Ontario's southern border are calling on the federal government to provide a concrete plan on how to support an influx of asylum seekers being transported to their communities from an unofficial port of entry in Quebec.
The mayors of three Ontario cities are calling on the federal government to help them support asylum seekers being transferred to their communities after entering the country through an unofficial border crossing in Quebec.
The leaders of Niagara Falls, Cornwall and Windsor say local supports are being stretched to capacity as migrants who crossed into Canada via Roxham Road arrive in increasing numbers. In addition to federal funding, they’re seeking clarity from Ottawa on what lies ahead.
“We need to know the plan,” Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said in an interview. “Don’t just tell us the plan, let’s develop it together.”
Roxham Rd. is an irregular border crossing on a country road stretching from New York state to Quebec, about 50 kilometres south of Montreal. In 2021, 4,246 migrants entered Canada via Roxham Road, with that number jumping to nearly 40,000 last year, the federal government has said.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada said the government began transferring asylum claimants to various cities in Ontario in June last year, after Quebec voiced concerns the migrants were placing pressure on publicly funded services and accommodation.
The department said 7,131 people have been transferred to Ontario communities so far — 4,313 to Niagara Falls, 1,396 to Cornwall, 720 to Windsor and 702 to Ottawa.
“IRCC is now in the process of working with other provinces and municipalities to identify new destinations that have the capacity to accommodate asylum seekers,” spokesman Remi Lariviere said, noting that Atlantic provinces have received a few dozen asylum seekers.
Diodati said the federal government initially approached his city last summer and said 87 hotel rooms were needed for asylum seekers.
“They didn’t want this to be public so we thought that’s fine, we’ll do our part. Then it quickly went to 300, then 687, 2,000, and it’s gotten much bigger,” he said.
The city now needs Ottawa to provide guidance on how the community can support the growing number of asylum seekers, Diodati said.
Niagara Falls has also asked Ottawa for $5 million to support local food banks and legal aid groups, the mayor said.
In Cornwall, Mayor Justin Towndale is seeking similar support from the federal government.
He said his eastern Ontario city has been doing “the Canadian thing” and supporting the migrants but needs clarity on long-term plans.
“In this case, the initial communication wasn’t there,” Towndale said in a phone interview. “We were having meetings with IRCC on a regular basis but they weren’t really giving us updates to their plan.”
Cornwall has brought on more staff to support asylum seekers who have arrived, Towndale said, and the city is asking the federal government for $2 million to fund those extra city employees.
There are also concerns about the effects of having many hotel rooms in the city booked up by the federal government to house the asylum seekers, Towndale said. Cornwall recently lost two conferences because organizers couldn’t find enough hotel rooms, he noted, and future sporting events hosted in the city could face similar issues.
In Niagara Falls, Diodati said there are concerns about fewer hotel rooms being available for tourists as summer approaches.
“Tourists fan out, they go to the restaurants, the attractions, the golf courses, the wineries,” he said. “There’s a lot of mom-and-pop operators in Niagara Falls that count on that rubber tire and the overnight traffic to visit the city.”
Syed Hussan, the executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, criticized the suggestion that having migrants take up hotel rooms would hit tourism operations and other businesses hard.
“There’s a lot of hysteria that’s been generated,” he said. “Part of this is the fact that these are poor, racialized Black, brown people who are walking in the downtowns of these tourist centres.”
Drew Dilkens, the mayor of Windsor, said his city has been acting on the Canadian principle “to help people who need help.”
“But at the end of the day, we have to find a pathway to do this in a sensible way, in a smart way,” he said. “The city is feeling the strain.”
Dilkens said, however, that having asylum seekers choose to settle in Windsor would be a benefit for the city.
“We may be able to find people who are skilled and want to work and that would be great for our local economy,” he said.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada said Canada is continuing to work with the U.S. on strengthening the Safe Third Country Agreement.
The agreement prevents people who come to Canada from the U.S. via official land border crossings from claiming asylum in Canada. But if asylum seekers cross through unofficial border crossings, such as Roxham Road, they avoid the application of the agreement and can proceed with a claim for asylum.
The Ontario mayors say they are expecting more guidance from the federal government in the coming weeks, after U.S. President Joe Biden makes a visit to Canada this month.
Ontario mayors seek help, clarity from Ottawa to support Roxham Rd. asylum seekers
The mayors of three Ontario cities are calling on the federal government to help them support asylum seekers.