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Council approves cash for refugee bus passes

One-year transit passes offered to new Syrian families in Salmon Arm
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City of Salmon Arm Chief Administrative Officer Carl Bannister listens as Shuswap Rotary president Carl Flatman appeals for more funds for bus passes for newly arrived Syrian refugees. -Image Credit: Barb Brouwer/Salmon Arm Observer

The wheels on the bus will be going around in favour of refugees who now call Salmon Arm home.

In a Jan. 6 letter to council, Shuswap Rotary president Carl Flatman advised mayor and council that while the club was grateful for the $4,950 allocated to the Syrian bus pass program in 2017, another $4,140 is needed to accommodate recently arrived refugees.

“Since my request of Oct. 13, 2016, we have had three new large Syrian families come to Salmon Arm in December,” he wrote. “I have exhausted the funds for the existing families and need further funds to cover all families for a full year of passes.”

As no new families will be arriving here in 2017, Flatman assured council there would be no additional requests for funds this year.

“I know this is a big ask and that it’s a lot of money,” Flatman told councillors at the Feb. 27 council meeting.

Coun. Chad Eliason wanted to know if the Rotary club had approached the Shuswap Community Foundation and Coun. Kevin Flynn wanted to know if Flatman saw the request as becoming an annual event.

“Has Rotary put any money in?” he asked. “I’m sure I’ll be in the minority, but I don’t know that taxpayers should be paying for this.”

Flatman replied that Rotary had contributed $35,000 for the club’s refugee family and Brian Ayotte, one of the founders of the Salmon Arm Refugee Coalition, advised council that Salmon Arm community members have donated $260,000 to support the refugees.

Coun. Alan Harrison acknowledged the Council Initiatives Fund, from which the money would be withdrawn, has limited funds.

“I put myself in the families’ shoes, being here without transport,” he mused. “Being able to get around is important so it’s good to give a one-year leg up.

Although he said he would rather Flatman had approached another community group, Coun. Kevin Flynn agreed to giving $4,140 for the bus passes. But, he made it clear he did not want to hear a top-up request next year.