Hamilton is ready for Syrian refugees, McMeekin tells Wynne

A local Hamilton MPP says he's assured Premier Kathleen Wynne that Hamilton is ready and willing to accept Syrian refugees this year.

Ted McMeekin, also Ontario's Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, met with Mayor Fred Eisenberger and local Liberal MPs on the weekend, where allpledged to work together to make the resettlement go smoothly.

In a Monday media release, McMeekin said he told Wynne that the city is ready to welcome some of the 10,000 refugees who will come to Ontario.

"Hamilton has a long history of accepting people fleeting war, famine, persecution and other tragic circumstances to build a new life," he said in the statement.

"I told Premier Kathleen Wynne we were ready, once again, to show our compassion toward these refugees."

Hamilton is due to receive an as-yet-unknown number of Syrian refugees, some of the 25,000 the Trudeau government has pledged to receive by the end of the year. The move fulfills an election promise where refugees and ISIS factored heavily into debates.

Wesley Urban Ministries is the lead agency in helping Hamilton Syrian refugees resettle, although many questions on details, such as the exact number of refugees and where they will stay, remain.

Eisenberger met with local Liberal MPs and MPPsthis weekendto talk about an "integrated strategy," he said in the Monday release.

In addition toMcMeekin, the mayor met with MPs Bob Bratina and Filomena Tassi about how to accommodate refugees. They'll meet again, he said.

Bratina and Tassi assured him that the federal government will work "hand in hand" with the city and province.

In the media release, Tassi called Canada "an open, generous country of immigrants that has a long history of successfully welcoming immigrantsOur city, Hamilton, is a place where immigrants and refugees integrate and contribute to our economy and culture."