Regina mayor waiting for details on federal government's Syrian refugee plan

Regina Mayor Michael Fougere said he’s had the opportunity to speak with the federal immigration minister regarding refugees, but he’s hoping to get more information on Monday before the government announces its plan.

Fougere indicated how last week’s talk with John McCallum revolved around the federal plan to bring in 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of the year in a general sense. The mayor said the two also discussed what kind of capacity the Queen City has.

They didn’t delve into specifics.

“We don’t know when people will be coming here. We don’t know how many will be here. We have a lot of questions still to be answered but we’re doing what we can, collectively speaking, as quickly as we can to be ready for these people,” explained Fougere.

McCallum announced Friday he will speak with the Big City Mayors’ caucus on Monday, one day before he formally announces the government’s plan to resettle the refugees. Fougere figures mayors will be getting some new information then.

In the meantime, he said collaborative talks are ongoing with the province and emergency services, along with organizations like the Open Door Society on how best to settle refugees here. While Fougere mentioned how some will be privately sponsored, he added how administration is currently talking about what accommodations might look like.

However the plan is rolled out, Fougere said Regina will welcome refugees with open arms.