SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
An idea to solve the territory's financial woes by importing more than 1,000 Syrian refugees is bouncing across desks in municipal government, and could be submitted to the GNWT.

During a meeting last week to discuss options to help refugees fleeing the Persian Gulf, David Connelly - president of Ile Royale Enterprises, a city-based business consulting firm - said he'd like Yellowknifers to dream big.

"Our finance minister said in order for our economy not to go over a financial cliff, we need to bring in 2,000 people," said Connelly. "And since then we're down."

Connelly said if the GNWT could be convinced to put up the cash to bring in 1,272 Syrians, the cost would be returned in the form of federal transfer payments - doled out to the territory at around $29,000 per resident, each year.

"It would be fair to go to the territorial government and say, 'You're going to get $37 million a year in transfer payments.'"

Connelly said he's spent time visiting refugee camps dating back to the 1960s.

"We don't have a lot of time, people are dying every day," he said.

"We need to think outside of the box and Canada's done that before."

The final say on who immigrates to Canada is up to the federal government, and the exchanges are administered by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

Barriers dropped

for Vietnam

Connelly said barriers to immigration have dropped before.

Around 60,000 Vietnamese entered Canada to escape war in that country in the 1970s.

"We did it with Cambodia, we did it with Uganda, we've had five or six situations where the government has stepped up and has taken down the barriers.

"We've seen movements on all three parties that they're getting to the point ... where they will take down the barriers."

Connelly said bringing in refugees could give a boost to the territory's labour force.

Local industry would love to have more workers who live in the city, he said.

Connelly added housing built for refugees could add to the housing stock once they leave.

"Last year, during the fires in Alberta, I think ATCO put in place housing for several thousand people in weeks."

Connelly summed up his argument in a letter he delivered to city council, which was also published in Monday's News/North, in the hopes that council would come up with a motion to send the matter on for consideration by the GNWT.

Andrew Livingstone, cabinet spokesperson, stated in an e-mail that the Government of the Northwest Territories is not considering federal transfer payments through this lens.

"At a time when families are being displaced and lives are being lost, the Government of the Northwest Territories is not considering the issue of federal transfer payments as it relates to population growth," said Livingstone.

He wrote that the GNWT will join the city's working group to find solutions to help Syrian refugees come to Northern Canada.

Mayor Mark Heyck said the territory has made some changes to its immigration legislation in recent years.

"Given some of the goals ... they have taken some positive steps to NWT immigration in recent years, so possibly there is something (they can do)," he said.

Mark Bogan, a resident who attended the meeting to advance the concerns of his Fathers Rights Group, said the territory can hardly provide addictions and mental health services to residents living here now, and would be completely overwhelmed by an influx of people from a war zone.

Connelly said it would be a great opportunity for the territory to attract people involved in mental health services.

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