Niagara region demands help with influx of asylum seekers

Ontario’s budget day is on Thursday. Today, Premier Doug Ford teased more efforts to improve the manufacturing sector, while staying mum on other details pertaining to issues like inflation and support for the Niagara region. The region is demanding help with an influx of asylum seekers.

READ MORE: Ontario to table budget amid both surging revenues, potential slowdown

CHCH News spoke with Amy Breault who had a booking this weekend at the Fairfield Inn in Niagara Falls. She says she is forced to find another accommodation after the hotel cancelled all existing bookings due to a large government booking this weekend.

Breault says, “if I had shown up this weekend, they would’ve turned me away, maybe comp me a night, and then I would’ve been on my own.”

A couple from Iran, who spoke to CHCH News off camera due to fear of revealing their identities, tell us they are one of at least 200 others staying at the hotel as asylum seekers. They say the federal government had given them at least a week’s worth of stay at the Fairfield Inn. The federal government says it has reserved 1,500 rooms in Niagara Falls. They confirm they are for people seeking asylum but wouldn’t say how many are occupying rooms.

WATCH: Doug Ford makes pre-budget announcement in Vaughan

Niagara Falls mayor Jim Diodati says he spoke with the immigration minister about support on potential losses of tourism spending along with cash for local food banks. “There’s a lot of local issues we don’t expect the local property taxpayer to cover, this is an immigration issue, a federal issue, so we need some money,” Diodati said.

Ottawa’s immigration department says claimants can stay up to 60 days in hotels, but hasn’t said when they expect bookings to wind down. Ahead of the Ford government’s tabled budget tomorrow, Premier Doug Ford didn’t say if it will offer financial support to Niagara.

In Oakville on Wednesday Ford says his government is encouraging investment in the manufacturing sector, saying it will propose legislation to offer a tax credit of up to $2 million for corporations.

READ MORE: Ontario to include new 10% income tax credit for manufacturing

When it came to concerns like inflation, provincial officials didn’t reveal details and spoke about tax reliefs and a minimum wage hike from last year’s budget.