Sarnia council has decided to keep offering free, one year bus passes to refugees.
Staff had recommended dialing back the program to six months, bringing it more in line with other communities, specifically Ottawa which offers a free pass for half a year.
Councillor Terry Burrell championed the one year time frame and asked that it be continued, saying the individuals it was being offered to were usually in desperate straits.
"I think the least we can do is help them out for a year," said Burrell. "They are qualified refugees. It isn't just somebody popping up and saying, 'I would like a bus pass.' In order to get it, the qualifications are that you have to be a formal Federal refugee. I think we have a good policy. I think we're ahead of the curve on this one."
Councillor Anne Marie Gillis agreed, saying she also liked the one year program.
"I find six months doesn't really give people enough of a chance to really get their feet into a community," Gillis said. "By the time they do, they've lost that one thing that allows them free access to everywhere that the bus takes us."
Staff were directed to report back on programs already offering assistance to veterans, individuals with disabilities and low income individuals.
