As of March 25, 2024, the City of Toronto is grappling with a massive influx of refugees, supporting 12,295 individuals across its shelter system and other housing programs. Of these, over 50 percent—more than 6,300 people—are refugee claimants, many of whom have arrived from African nations amid deep poverty, political turmoil, and widespread discrimination.
The crisis began in May 2023, when Toronto’s already overburdened shelter system was hit with an unexpected surge of African refugees, multiplying the number of asylum seekers by more than 500 percent. With Toronto’s shelter system already stretched beyond capacity, the sudden influx overwhelmed existing resources and set off a cascade of challenges that neither the city nor the federal government was fully prepared to handle.
The scene outside Toronto’s Peter Street shelter in July 2023 starkly illustrated the city’s growing refugee crisis. Dozens of refugees, many from Uganda, Kenya, and Nigeria, were left stranded on the streets as city officials and federal agencies squabbled over responsibilities. Refugees like Fatima Yusef, a Ugandan asylum seeker, found themselves caught in a bureaucratic nightmare. “We called the city, and when we talked to them they said to call the federal government, but when we call them they tell us to call the city,” Yusef recounted.
The inaction highlighted the glaring gap in support for refugees. When Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie announced that Toronto shelters would start turning away refugee claimants and referring them to federally funded shelters, the reality hit hard: there were no such shelters funded by the federal government. This lack of coordinated response between municipal and federal authorities left thousands of refugees without adequate support.
The surge in refugee claimants from African countries and other nations like Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, and Myanmar is driven by multiple factors—famine, civil war, climate change, and widespread discrimination, particularly against LGBTQIA+ individuals. Many African countries have introduced draconian anti-LGBTQIA+ laws, forcing people to flee for their lives.
According to the UN Refugee Agency, Canada received over 144,000 asylum claims in 2023—a record number that far surpassed previous years. However, the influx of refugees has exposed deep flaws in Canada’s refugee support system.
Canada’s refugee system differentiates between convention refugees—those invited to Canada by the federal government—and refugee claimants, or asylum seekers, who apply for protection after arriving. The latter group faces a lengthy and costly process, often lasting years, before they can access basic services such as healthcare. Without legal recognition, refugee claimants are left in limbo, dependent on overwhelmed municipal and provincial systems for their survival.
Despite Canada’s commitment as a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Refugees, the federal government has started deporting asylum seekers at a rapid pace. Between 2022 and 2023, Canada deported more than 23,000 undocumented migrants, spending over $111 million in the process.
Amid the systemic failures, Toronto’s Black community mobilized to provide urgent relief for stranded refugees. With the city’s shelter system unable to accommodate the influx, local Black churches opened their doors to the homeless.
Pastor Judith James of Revivaltime Tabernacle, Pastor Eddie Jjumba of Dominion Church International, and Nadine Miller, director of Pilgrim Feast Tabernacles, were among the leaders on the front lines. These churches, despite lacking sufficient resources, provided shelter, food, and support to hundreds of refugees. Pastor Eddie’s church alone housed over 215 refugees, many sleeping on the floor or in makeshift beds.
Pastor Judith recalled the emotional toll of the crisis, spending countless nights in her church with refugees who had fled unimaginable hardships, including political violence and persecution based on their sexuality. “Between July and September, we brought in over 1,000 people,” she said. “But we served over 4,000 because we were cooking and dropping off food at other locations.”
While the churches’ efforts were heroic, the financial toll has been devastating. Dominion Church incurred over $800,000 in eligible expenses, yet the City of Toronto could only reimburse just over 50 percent of that amount. Pilgrim Feast Tabernacles, now $1.5 million in debt, had to close its doors to refugees by the end of October 2023, although they continue to support some individuals discreetly.
Despite this, the pastors and their congregations have no regrets. “We are laser-focused on making sure this does not happen again,” said Pastor Judith.
The community’s collective response also exposed the glaring inequities faced by Black refugees. As Pastor Eddie poignantly observed, “If all those refugees sleeping on your church floor and on the street had been white people, how long do you think it would have taken the government to act?”
In response to the escalating crisis, the federal government pledged $22 million in upfront funding to support the establishment of a new refugee reception centre in Peel Region. However, the amount falls far short of what is needed, and negotiations between federal, provincial, and regional governments continue. The federal government insists on its contribution, but Peel Region refuses to open the reception centre until it is fully funded and sustained annually.
Meanwhile, as political leaders debate funding and responsibilities, refugees continue to arrive on Toronto’s streets, and winter is approaching. The question remains: will enough be done to prevent further tragedies?
The refugee crisis in Toronto highlights the critical need for systemic reform in Canada’s immigration system. As Black community leaders continue to provide support with limited resources, the federal and provincial governments must work together to implement long-term solutions that address both the immediate needs of refugees and the structural inequities that put their lives at risk.
With more refugees on the way, Toronto’s future depends on whether Canada can rise to the challenge and provide the compassionate, coordinated support that these asylum seekers so desperately need.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida State has asked a judge to decide key parts of its lawsuit against the Atlantic Coast Conference without a trial, hoping for a quicker resolution and path to a possible exit from the league.
Florida State requested a partial summary judgment from Circuit Judge John Cooper in a 574-page document filed earlier this week in Leon County, the Tallahassee-based school’s home court.
Florida State sued the ACC in December, challenging the validity of a contract that binds member schools to the conference and each other through media rights and claiming the league’s exit fees and penalties for withdrawal are exorbitant and unfair.
In its original compliant, Florida State said it would cost the school more than half a billion dollars to break the grant of rights and leave the ACC.
“The recently-produced 2016 ESPN agreements expose that the ACC has no rights to FSU home games played after it leaves the conference,” Florida State said in the filing.
Florida State is asking a judge to rule on the exit fees and for a summary judgment on its breach of contract claim, which says the conference broke its bylaws when it sued the school without first getting a majority vote from the entire league membership.
The case is one of four active right now involving the ACC and one of its members.
The ACC has sued Florida State in North Carolina, claiming the school is breaching a contract that it has signed twice in the last decade simply by challenging it.
The judge in Florida has already denied the ACC’s motion to dismiss or pause that case because the conference filed first in North Carolina. The conference appealed the Florida decision in a hearing earlier this week.
Clemson is also suing the ACC in South Carolina, trying to find an affordable potential exit, and the conference has countersued that school in North Carolina, too.
The dispute is tied to the ACC’s long-term deal with ESPN, which runs through 2036, and leaves those schools lagging well behind competitors in the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten when it comes to conference-payout revenue.
Florida State has said the athletic department is in danger of falling behind by as much as $40 million annually by being in the ACC.
“Postponing the resolution of this question only compounds the expense and travesty,” the school said in the latest filing.
The ACC has implemented a bonus system called a success initiative that will reward schools for accomplishments on the field and court, but Florida State and Clemson are looking for more as two of the conference’s highest-profile brands and most successful football programs.
The ACC evenly distributes revenue from its broadcast deal, though new members California, Stanford and SMU receive a reduced and no distribution. That money is used to fund the pool for the success initiative.
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QUEBEC – Australian road cyclist Michael Matthews raced to victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec on Friday.
Matthews earned a record third career victory in Quebec City. He was previously tied with Slovakia’s Peter Sagan with two wins.
The Jayco-AlUla rider won the fastest edition of the Quebec race on the UCI World Tour calendar.
Matthews, who claimed titles in 2018 and 2019, edged out Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay and France’s Rudy Molard in a thrilling sprint.
Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar, the heavy favourite, was unable to follow through with his attack launched just over two kilometres from the finish line. He finished in seventh place.
Pogacar will look to redeem himself at the Montreal cycling Grand Prix on Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – The Vancouver Whitecaps have loaned midfielder Jay Herdman to Cavalry FC of the Canadian Premier League and rewarded two Whitecaps FC 2 players with MLS contracts.
Midfielder Jeevan Badwal signed as a homegrown player through 2027, with options for 2028 and 2029, while forward Nicolas Fleuriau Chateau signed an MLS contract through 2025, with club options for 2026 and 2027.
Both have been playing for the Whitecaps’ MLS Next Pro team along with the 20-year-old Herdman, the son of Toronto FC coach John Herdman.
The moves were made before Friday’s MLS and CPL roster freeze.
Born in New Zealand while his father was working for the New Zealand Football Federation, Jay Herdman was also part of the New Zealand soccer team at the Paris Olympics with three appearances including two starts. Herdman’s loan deal runs through the end of the CPL season.
“Jay is an important signing for us, who will provide another attacking option for the run-in,” Cavalry coach and GM Tommy Wheeldon Jr. said in a statement. “He’s a player that we’ve been tracking since we played against Whitecaps in pre-season and he has very good quality, with terrific energy and the ability to contribute to goals.
“With the recent injury to Mael Henry, Jay’s positional profile and age helps us with on-field options and minutes that count towards the league’s required 2,000 U-21 domestic minutes during the regular season.”
Badwal, an 18-year-old from suburban Surrey, is the 26th academy player to sign an MLS contract with the Whitecaps.
“Having joined our academy in 2019, Jeevan continues to progress through our club and takes every challenge in stride,” Whitecaps FC sporting director Axel Schuster said in a statement. “He is comfortable on the ball, positionally sound, and does the simple things very well. We are excited for Jeevan to make the next step in his young career.”
Badwal has made 19 appearances with Whitecaps 2 this season, scoring two goals and adding three assists. A Canadian youth international, he started all three matches for Canada at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup
Badwal made his first-team debut off the bench in the first leg of the Canadian Championship semifinal against Pacific FC.
Chateau was originally selected 74th overall by the Whitecaps in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft after spending two years at St. John’s University.
The 22-year-old from Ottawa signed an MLS NEXT Pro contract with Whitecaps FC 2 in March. He leads Whitecaps FC 2 in goal-scoring this season with eight goals across 21 appearances (including eight starts).
“Nicolas leads MLS NEXT Pro in shots on target, has a very strong work rate and willpower. We are looking forward to seeing his growth as he builds on his young professional career,” said Schuster.
Chateau made his first-team debut as a second-half substitute at CF Montreal on July 6.
Herdman, who joined the Whitecaps academy as a 13-year-old, has made 19 appearances for Whitecaps FC 2 in 2024, scoring six goals and adding three assists. He made his MLS debut in April as a second-half substitute in a 2-0 victory at the Seattle Sounders.
Internationally, Herdman has represented New Zealand 29 times across the U-19, U-20, and U-23 sides. He was part of New Zealand’s squad at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, starting three matches at the tournament and scoring against Uzbekistan.
The Whitecaps host San Jose on Saturday while Cavalry entertains Atletico Ottawa on Sunday.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024
