News

Christmas cookies and hot chocolate for Christie kids yesterday 💕💕💕💕💕💕 Thank you, Food Services Team! . . . #seasonsgreetings #christmas2024 #refugeeswelcome #refugeeshelter #christmasgiving #refugeesintoronto #decoratedsugarcookies

Most of us can remember the scenes from summer 2023. Dozens - sometimes up to 100- African asylum seekers sleeping outside in downtown Toronto night after night, after having been denied access to the City’s emergency shelter system. This was the result of a decision that came in November 2022, when the City of Toronto decided to stop allowing refugee claimants access to its base shelter beds, making the decision public in May 2023, when it began redirecting refugees to federal services instead. Last week, the Ombudsman released a report investigating these events. The report found that the City’s decision was inconsistent with City policies; it lacked accountability including proper documentation of who approved the decision and why; it led to harmful impacts and unhelpful referrals for refugees and; it was a decision based on systemic discrimination, specifically anti-Black racism, as most of the refugee claimants affected were of African descent and Black. The report made 14 recommendations to help strengthen fairness and transparency of the City’s shelter system. See bio for the full report and its recommendations. The City Manager’s Office continues to state that he does not accept the report and will not direct the City to implement the 14 recommendations. Photo credit: Rwandan Canadian Health Centre

The season of giving and being together is upon us. Christie Staff Christmas party ✨ DIY wreaths by our youngest residents (Halloween never dies!) ✨ a Christmas gathering for Christie’s former clients ✨ a donation of knitted winter hats from Nepal from @tibetanpaperhandicraft ✨ a very special gift from a young person who dropped by Christie to donate her saved allowance. Christmas is coming and we are just getting started! . . . #refugeeswelcome #refugeeshelter #holidaygiving #christmas2024 #refugeesintoronto #christmasiscoming

Last week, we had the honour of welcoming Linda Tripp back to Christie! Linda started World Vision Canada’s Refugee Program and established Christie Refugee Welcome Centre in Spring of 1989. There is so much history and so many stories here, over 35 years. We asked Linda a memory of Christie that has forever stayed with her: “I remember there was a woman from Africa, she had several children. We were sitting in the kitchen and talking and she kept grabbing my hand and she kept kissing my hand and I didn’t want her to. But she had to express herself. And it was just so stark … she was thanking me and I had no idea what it had cost her to leave everything and be here.” . . . #refugeestories #history #refugeehouse #receptioncentre #refugeeswelcome #35years

Last week, on International Children’s Day, we celebrated the birthday of one of the Centre’s young residents who turned a pivotal 13! Last week was also National Housing Day in Canada. As we reflect on these two symbolic days, consider that: 🚸 As of September 2024, nearly 1500 children were staying in the City’s shelter system; 🚸 Two-thirds of these children were ten years of age or younger. 130 of these children were under a year old; 🚸 More than 1400 children in Toronto are currently waiting for shelter space, living with their families in hotel rooms scattered across the city - paid for by City Hall; 🚸 The number of children living in shelters today is triple the levels seen in 2016; and 🚸 More than 70% of children staying in Toronto’s regular family shelters are part of refugee families. [stats from October 2024 Toronto Star article] Stats like these are important for understanding the housing and shelter crisis in Toronto but unfortunately they have also been used to scapegoat refugees for the failures of government in dealing with a national housing crisis. Remember that refugees did not cause the housing crisis. Rather, bad policy and government inaction to appropriately fund housing did. . . . #housingcrisis #refugeefamilies #refugeesintoronto #refugeeshelter #refugeeswelcome

Before and AFTER - birthday celebrations for our most beautiful young people are our absolute favourite! Pizza is eaten, cake is shared, candles are blown out and wishes are made. The birthday child gets to decide the activities, snacks, movie, music! Our wish is that every refugee child forever feels empowered, respected, uplifted and loved. . . . #refugeechildren #refugeeshelter #refugeehouse #childrensprogramming #refugeechild

We hosted our annual flu clinic this week with nurses from Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre providing flu vaccines to over 30 residents living at Christie. Did you know nurses from Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood Health and Community Centre @youth_dpnchc_ visit our clinic once per week to provide immunization to Christie residents who may not have received vaccines for preventable diseases from their country of origin? We are so grateful for the health care they provide Christie residents. . . . #refugeehealth #refugeehealthcare #refugeehouse #refugeeshelter

A warm thank you to @aircanada for their generous donation of $30,000 to support our Centre for Refugee Children! Air Canada’s support helps our Centre for Refugee Children hire a further two Child and Youth Settlement Counsellors who will work with unaccompanied and separated children and youth across Ontario. Did you know, every year a few hundred children and youth arrive to Canada alone and seeking refugee protection? Last year, the Centre supported 104 of these young people. A few images of the Centre for a Refugee Children’s youth engaging in programming, as planned and facilitated by the Centre’s Child and Youth Settlement Counsellors. Staff ensure young refugees new and alone in Ontario have shelter, basic needs, a designated representative for their refugee claim, access to legal support and so much more. If you would like to find out more about or support our Centre for Refugee Children, visit @crcrefugee . . . #aircanada #refugeeyouth #refugeechildren #refugeehub #unaccompaniedminors #unaccompaniedchildren #settlementworker #refugeesincanada

⚡️Latin American Heritage Staff Lunch ⚡️ October marks Latin American Heritage Month in Canada and with staff from Peru to Colombia and from Equator to Mexico (and some countries in between!), we celebrated with a Latin American staff lunch. Gracias por la deliciosa comisa, colleagues!