Toronto is opening two emergency reception centres to deal with an influx of refugee claimants, less than a week after the mayor warned that the current system was nearly at capacity.
Beginning Thursday, Toronto will temporarily house refugee claimants and new arrivals in 400 beds at the Centennial College Residence and Conference Centre in the city's east end.
And the city says it will also begin using 400 beds at Humber College in the west end to house refugee claimants as of June 1.
Last Friday, Mayor John Tory said the city would have to take emergency measures if the federal and Ontario governments didn't act to relieve the growing pressure refugee claimants are putting on the city's shelter system.
The city said the province facilitated the availability of the college dormitories and has committed up to $3 million in Red Cross staffing costs as part of an anticipated $6.3 million total cost of operating the sites for the next 75 days.
These contingency sites will only be available until early August, when the rooms will be required for returning students.