The Portage and Area Refugee Coalition's enduring a rocky road, as they work to bring two Syrian families into the city. The coalition announced earlier this year they'd have two families coming to Portage, with the government implying they would arrive between a few weeks to a month or two after the announcement. However, the coalition has yet to see any progress and has also faced some setbacks in the process.

Coalition member John Dolloff says the most disheartening setback was the fact one of the families set to come to Portage was actually denied immigration status by the Canadian government. While he notes they looked into appealing that decision, there was no effective route for the non-profit organization to take.

"That was very distressing. So because of that, the department of immigration through the blended visa officer referral program offered us an opportunity to sponsor another family as a result of that, which we're happy to do. We're happy to help that family, but with a certain level of sadness for the other family."

He says they've sent a letter to the immigration officials but have only received confirmation their correspondence was received. One of the potential families being denied isn't the only challenge that's faced the coalition over the summer months. While the coalition was able to secure two homes for the incoming families, Dolloff says the significant delays have resulted in the group's decision to give up one of the homes, which they had been holding in anticipation of one of the families' arrival.

"It became apparent to us that in terms of our budget, it just didn't make financial sense. It wasn't good stewardship of the generous donations we had received to keep renting that property when we really had no idea when the intended occupants might be here."

He says there's a sense of frustration among the coalition, noting the initial announcement implied the refugee families would be in Portage by the end of the summer. He notes it has been a challenge to keep morale up, as they process continues to drag on. Despite the feeling of exhaustion, Dolloff says it's hard to say if they would have done anything different. He says they made the best decisions they could with the information they had but feels it's unfortunate they weren't privy to all information when the announcement was first made.