Calgary can take more refugees in 2017, Nenshi says

CalgaryMayor Naheed Nenshi says the citycould take in more refugeesif the federal government paves the way.

"As we've brought in the Syrian families over the last year, we actually created capacity by linking agencies and figuring out the system, so it's relatively easy for us to gear up the system again as long as the funding is in place," said Nenshi.

It follows Premier Rachel Notley's statement this week that Alberta is willing to accept more refugees if the federal government decides to lift a cap on how many can come to Canada.

Notley said she believes Ottawa is considering such a move.

• Premier Rachel Notley says Alberta willing to accept more refugees

About 3,400Syrian refugees moved into Calgary last year, with just over 7,000 arriving in the province from November 2015 to December 2016.

With many more who are desperate to get away from terrorism and violence in Syria, Nenshi says Canada and Calgary can help them.

"We know the private system is the envy of the world, where groups of five come together and sponsor a refugee family, and it works really well,"said Nenshion Thursday.

"The people integrate quickly, so I think that's an easy way to move forward," Nenshi said.

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Nenshi says the numbers need to be looked at across Canada to see if there's capacity and to make sure the supports for language training are in place.

"I really believe language training is the single biggest contributor to their long-term success," he said.

Nenshi says before the downturn, Calgary was taking around 40,000 people per year into the city. So 1,000 refugees with migration down and a higher vacancy rate shouldn't be a big deal for the city, he added.

Agencies and front-line workers agree that Calgary can accommodate more newcomers if the resources and funding are in place.

"Even when we were receiving large numbers, we were able to manage," said Anoush Newman, a refugee resettlement co-ordinator at the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society.

"But it's not a matter of just taking refugees. It's about what services we have in place, because if we don't have the resources, it's going to be difficult for both the front-line workers and the new Canadians."