Most of the stress has been in the Toronto region versus the York region. The York region has received mostly privately sponsored refugees. You're right that the pilot welcome centre was opened in 2007 and then four more opened in 2010. We've been operating for six years now as a system. Durham followed suit about five years ago.
The City of Markham held a refugee summit in January. The welcome centre together with the Regional Municipality of York also held a refugee forum where all the private sponsors could come and learn what is available in the community. They're not aware of all the resources. Some of the private refugee groups are extremely well organized. They even have an education committee and other committees for their families when they come. They became a mini agency all on their own, but we want them to know resources are already available. For example, the City of Markham also opened parks and recreational services to them.
In terms of the welcome centre, we're able to deal with the influx of refugees. The last we heard, a meeting is happening right now. We have had a round table with the Regional Municipality of York. The whole community has been planning together. For us, York region is more manageable than Toronto. In Toronto the refugees have emptied out of the core of the city, mostly out of Scarborough, Peel, and so on, because of the cost of accommodation.
Just to give one more plug for the welcome centre, we have been studied by Germany and Sweden, and we've received different delegations internationally, so kudos to York region.
I think you're my MP, incidentally.