Gander to sponsor 5 refugee families; only backlash is online, councillor says
A Gander councillor says the town has adjusted its original goal of sponsoring 10 Syrian refugee families and will now aim to bring in five families instead.
Sarah McBreairty told CBC Radio's Central Morning the decision was made at a meeting Tuesday night.
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"We'd like to have more of an attainable goal, I think. We've narrowed down our cost, we're looking at about $75,000," she said.
McBreairty said the decision was based on the fact that the town doesn't know what size the refugee families will be.
"We think with our umbrella group and the various little groups working on these families, that the $75,000 is attainable," she said.
McBreairty said the group is solely focused on finances right now. It has also teamed up with the Association For New Canadians to co-sponsor the families.
A wishlist, she said, will eventually be posted detailing what items are needed from the community.
"We're getting a lot of offers for various things so we have lists at the town of names, companies who are willing to help and donate various things."
No concerns made in person
While McBreairty said some members of the community have asked questions about how the process will work, no one has raised any concerns in person.
"There's a little bit of education involved, obviously," she said.
"But I'm finding that it's all online and those people that are really critical, they're not comfortable speaking in person or having their name connected and their face connected — it just doesn't happen," she said.
"We figured they would show up to the meetings but we have not had one individual with a negative view, it's only people wanting to help."
Of the many groups involved in sponsorship, McBreairty said the Anglican church will likely be the first to take on a family. The process, she said, takes about six months to complete.