City to host Syrian refugees?

Mayor Al McDonald is organizing an effort to sponsor a family of Syrian refugees to settle in North Bay.

On his Facebook page, McDonald writes. "The picture of 3 year Alan Kurdi still haunts us. We have 3 young grandsons and couldn't imagine if no one reached out.

"In the light of ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria, Wendy and I would like to set up a sponsor group of caring North Bay citizens to sponsor a family of 4. The cost is 27,000."

After just eight hours thousands of dollars was pledged.

Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees have flooded Europe to escape civil war.

The Aylan Kurdi that McDonald speaks of is a three year old child, drowned with his mother and brother and washed up on a Turkish beach.

He was buried today in Kobani Syria.

Toronto mayor John Tory is also supporting the same effort in Toronto.

But it won't be easy. Other groups have waited months to bring in refugee families, and are still waiting.

BayToday will update this story.