Calgary Syrian refugee settlement full of challenges, questions

Hundreds of Syrian refugees are on track to call Calgary home but an information session Thursday put on by an immigration group and the city seemed to raise more questions than answers as many of the logistics are at the 'committee' stage.

• Syrian refugee influx expected in Calgary prompts warning of housing 'chaos'
• The Strategists tackle refugees, security concerns
• Nenshi urges Calgary to welcome Syrian refugees with 'open arms'
• Refugee agencies in Alberta prepare to welcome 3,000 Syrians

Finding housing for the families and volunteers to help them settle in tops the list of challenges, but Mayor Naheed Nenshi says he's optimistic it can be done smoothly if approached as a community.

"The response that we have had from landlords, whether it's somebody who has a basement suite — hopefully a legal one — or a very, very, large landlord who has hundreds of units that they're willing to put on the market, has been extraordinary," Nenshi said.

He says about 350 families are expected to arrive in Calgary over the coming weeks and months that still don't have housing arranged.

Finding them homes is a top priority for session organizer Fariborz Birjandian of the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society.

"If we can get enough housing available across the city, then I think that will prevent a lot the headaches that we may have in the future," Birjandian said.

There was lots of support for volunteerism from the roughly 400 Calgarians who attended the session but connecting those who want to help with those who need it, will require coordination which is not fully in place yet.

Lindsay Thomas showed up to the session to learn more about the process. She wants to see a database set up for people to register to volunteer.

"What we could really do with is build a website or some kind of portal where people who want to help can go (to a) centralized source of information and find out where they can fit in," Thomas said.

There will be lots of opportunities for volunteers to help ease the transition for the refugees with things like language instruction, translation services, connecting with employment help, even learning how to use public transit, the mayor said.

"It's our job to make sure that every single one of them has the opportunity to live — right here, right now — a great Canadian life," Nenshi said.