Friday November 13 2015
▼ Fraser Valley home prices on the rise, with North Delta leading the pack 18
The
Leader
CITIES PLAN FOR INFLUX OF REFUGEES ▶ HUNDREDS OF SYRIANS EXPECTED TO SETTLE IN SURREY
▶ SURREY:
JEFF NAGEL
BRACE YOURSELF FOR A BIGGER TAX BILL 3
The municipal budget is usually calculated each November. This year, Surrey has postponed consideration of the operating budget until Feb. 15, 2016 in order to determine how to pay for added policing costs. City staff say property taxes will be increasing, but at this pint, no one knows by how much. FILE PHOTO
He estimates Surrey alone could welcome 800 Syrian refugees and roughly Up to 3,000 Syrian refugees are 300 of them could be school age – 40 predicted to come to Metro Vancouver per cent are expected to be under 19 as a result of the new federal governyears old – triggering a scramble for ment’s push to bring 25,000 to Canada classroom space (see story by the end of the year. on page 4). And residents across the Friesen said a website is region are being urged to being launched at issbc. volunteer, donate and even org/refugee-crisis where open their homes to assist residents can find forms to the incoming refugees once volunteer and suggest acthey arrive. commodation options and At least 10 per cent of other assistance. Syrian refugees coming to “For those who are inCanada so far have come to terested in private sponB.C., and of those, the vast sorship we have a fund in majority settle in Surrey, place so people can make ▶ “We’re followed by surrounding a donation towards a sponcities such as Burnaby, New sorship if they don’t want trying to be Westminster, Delta, Cotake the whole thing proactive as to quitlam and Richmond. on.” All of the 43 governA regional emergency a region.” ment-assisted Syrian planning meeting is set for JUDY VILLENEUVE refugees who have arrived in Monday (Nov. 16) to coorB.C. in 2015 have settled in dinate the response of varthose communities, and 26 ious agencies. Represenof them are in Surrey. tatives of municipalities, “Surrey is expected to continue being school boards, health authorities and the number-one destination,” said the Red Cross are to attend. Chris Friesen, executive director of the Immigrant Services Society of B.C.
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