New refugee command centre opens in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG — In less than a month, about 2000 Syrian refugees will be arriving in Winnipeg and agencies are ready.

Tuesday, the province opened its refugee command centre on Broadway, the same room it uses during floods and major disasters.

The room filled with desks and computers will be home to six different agencies representing Manitoba Health, education and housing, everything under one roof so when settlement agencies need help they call the command centre instead of trying to locate a specific organization usually spread across the city.

“It’s work they know how to do, it’s work they’re experienced in doing,” said Ben Rempel, Deputy Minister for Labour and Immigration, “the challenge is we need to be ready much more quickly for a much higher number that will arrive in a much shorter period of time.”

Syrian refugees will start arriving in early January.  They’ll have all arrived by the end of February 2016.