Kathleen Wynne pledges to bring 10,000 refugees to Ontario

The Ontario government is pledging $10.5 million to theSyrian refugee crisis, Premier Kathleen Wynne announced Saturday.

Wynne said the province hopes to resettle 10,000 refugees by theend of 2016, though she notes the provincial government doesn't havethe power to sponsor those refugees.

Refugees have been fleeing Syria en masse since 2011 when thecountry spun into a civil war that is estimated to have taken morethan 100,000 lives.

Most of Ontario's contribution will help "expedite theresettlement of refugees all across Ontario and support them as theybuild new lives here" over the next 2 1/2 years, Wynne said, addingthat $2 million will go to immediate humanitarian aid on the groundoverseas.

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"The funding we've committed today will help us work withindividuals, with faith based groups and with community
organizations to reach our goal," she said.

The world turned its attention to the crisis last week after aphoto of drowned three-year-old Alan Kurdi was widely publicized.

When Kurdi's father said the family had hoped to come to Canada,the Harper government was criticized for not doing enough toexpedite the application and resettlement process for refugees.

Federal government could move quicker, says Wynne

Wynne said that because the provincial government cannot sponsorrefugees, she can't do anything concrete to speed up the process ofbringing refugees to Ontario, but she encouraged the federalgovernment to move more quickly.

Wynne and her spouse Jane Rounthwaite have been trying to sponsora Syrian family with a group from their church since January.

"We have not been able to move that forward," Wynne saidearlier this week. "The bottom line for me is that all of us acrossthe country need to be doing everything we can to help in thishumanitarian crisis."

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Wynne's announcement Saturday followed a round-table discussionwith new immigrants and leaders in the campaign to privately sponsormore refugees.

"Part of what we heard this morning was there is still a needfor more support as more people come," she said.

Aid organization overwhelmed with sudden influx of support

Lifeline Syria, an organization that helps private sponsors ofSyrian refugees, hasn't been able to keep up with the influx ofsupport for their cause, said member Mario Calla.

He said they haven't been able to respond to all the phone callsfrom people interested in sponsoring families. The new money willallow the organization to recruit more people to field phone callsand provide support to sponsors.

"The challenge for some (potential sponsors) is they realizethey're responsible for up to a year for the refugees," said Calla.

"What if someone makes a pledge of support and they lose their job,for example?"

So, he said, the money will also offer assurance that even ifprivate sponsors can no longer afford the financial commitment,refugees won't be left penniless in Canada.

Wynne's pledge came at the same time as an announcement from thefederal government that it would match up to $100 million inhumanitarian aid donations.