No new money for asylum seekers in Toronto after Chow meets with federal Immigration Minister
Mayor Olivia Chow is urging the federal government to pick up the tab needed to cover costs incurred by several Toronto churches while caring for asylum seekers.
In a closed-door meeting today, Chow made a pitch to federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller, asking for assistance with the costs associated with the crisis.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Last week, council voted on a motion to ask the federal government to reimburse churches and community organizations who have provided funding for refugees to the tune of up to $750,000.
The city has also asked Ottawa to reimburse $200 million in 2023 shelter system costs, inclusive of the $97 million the feds already committed in July, totalling $103 million.
Speaking to reporters at an unrelated event after the meeting, Chow said she will need to know by next Monday if the feds will pay the $750,000 – otherwise, the city will be forced to cover the sum in full.
“Toronto has time and time again begged for some crumbs,” Chow said. “I met with the minister, I pled my case about refugees and they’re thinking about it.”“
Miller pointed out Tuesday the absence of the Ford government at the meeting, adding that the province has a role to play as well.
“They’re sitting on billions of dollars, that is just a fact, and they can certainly deploy that to the city of Toronto and the surrounding areas,” the minister said.
The minister said he thinks “ a more humane and humanitarian response” can be applied to the asylum crisis, and underlined that the purpose of the meeting was to “look at how Canada’s largest city can welcome in a bunch of people, [who] in some cases are risking their lives to be here.”
Toronto’s shelter system has been overcapacity for months. Right now, more than 10,000 people are sheltered – 35 per cent of them are refugees.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6949393.1720009279!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Hurricane Beryl roars toward Jamaica after killing at least 6 people in the southeast Caribbean
Hurricane Beryl was roaring toward Jamaica on Wednesday, with islanders scrambling to make preparations after the powerful Category 4 storm earlier killed at least six people and caused significant damage in the southeast Caribbean.
Ontario man suffers cardiac arrest in Florida. This is why insurance won't cover his $620,000 hospital bill
An Ontario man who wanted to spend time with his family in Florida was hospitalized after suffering a cardiac arrest at the airport as he was about to fly back to Canada.
More than 5,500 heat pumps recalled in Canada due to potential risk of 'excessive heat exposure'
Health Canada is recalling thousands of popular heat pumps across the country due to a potential risk of 'excessive heat exposure.'
opinion Are financial advisors just glorified salespeople?
Financial advisors can be an excellent resource for busy consumers, but recent allegations against employees of major Canadian banks have raised questions about the integrity of financial advice. Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew addresses some of these concerns and highlights the distinction between unethical practices and the genuine value that good advisors can offer.
Biden says he 'nearly fell asleep' during debate after world travel
U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday acknowledged his performance during last Thursday's presidential debate wasn't his best, but blamed it on jet lag after two overseas trips earlier in June.
New Mexico denies film incentive application on 'Rust' movie after fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin
Producers of the western movie "Rust" may have to forgo a robust economic incentive as they try to sell the film to distributors and fulfill financial obligations to the immediate family of a cinematographer who was fatally shot by Alec Baldwin during rehearsal in 2021.
A bride released butterflies in honour of her late father. Instead of flying away, they stuck by her side
In a moment that brought some to tears, a U.S. bride released more than a dozen butterflies in honour of her late father. Here’s what they did instead of flying away.
Severe overcrowding, lack of exits and mud contributed to a deadly stampede in India
Severe overcrowding and a lack of exits contributed to a stampede at a religious festival in northern India, authorities said Wednesday, leaving at least 121 people dead as the faithful surged toward the preacher to touch him and chaos ensued.
Ontario MPP who was booted from caucus after controversial meeting criticizes Ford
A former Progressive Conservative backbencher in Premier Doug Ford's government says she is disappointed with his 'unilateral decision' to kick her out of caucus.