THUNDER BAY -- A local refugee centre is worried that the city's astronomical estimates to take in Syrians is scaring the public.
On Monday city council unanimously voted to take in up to 100 Syrian refugees after a request from the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association and federal immigration minister John McCallum.
City officials estimated it could cost up to $200,000 per week based on figures from the last time city hosted evacuees from Northern First Nations.
Doors to a New Life Refugee Centre's Joanne Ruberto said those figures are way off.
The centre just finished its year sponsorship of an Iraqi family, who initially fled to Syria before the civil war began, in Thunder Bay. It cost $30,000 for the whole family for the year, including rent and food.
"The dollar figure was out of this world. I'm afraid that by saying such things they're scaring the general population," she said.
"I would like to reassure people that it will not cost anywhere near that."
Local architect Ahsanul Habib has already offered several of his buildings at 15 per cent under market value to house people.
Other costs will likely be covered by churches and other community groups who are either waiting for their sponsored families to come to the area or are in the process of sponsoring a family.
Ruberto said if anything, the city could likely double the amount of people its offering to take in and the community would respond.
"It's there. It's going to be in front of them," she said of the need when refugees come to the city as early as next month.
City council's decision brought out a lot of negative comments from the community. Ruberto said she had to get off of Facebook and stop reading them.
"Some of the comments make my blood boil and I'm very vociferous in that department. They like to blame refugees for everything," she said.
"What are you going to do? Not give aid to a population because you're afraid that someone is going to be a criminal among them?"
Ruberto said a majority of the refugees are already vetted and waiting in refugee camps, sometimes for years. They just want to be in a safe place.
Minister of Status of Women Patty Hajdu said the refugees are escaping terrorism. They left their homes, traveled across dangerous territory and risked the lives of their families for a chance to come to Canada.
"You don't undertake those kinds of things really unless the situation is so dire that you have to leave home," the Thunder Bay-Superior North MP said.
The federal government is committed to getting 25,000 refugees into Canada before the end of the year. Its' working across ministries and levels of government to make that happen.
"We're bringing people here in a safe and fairly rapid manner," she said.
Hajdu said she's not sure what specific federal funding is out there for municipalities right now but the city should contact McCallum.
Canada needs to be a major partner with the international community and respond to the refugee crisis. People need to have confidence that that will be done without increasing security risks to the country.
"I think that we can do this safely with compassion," she said.
