Our History

Between November 2015 and December 2016, close to 40,000 Syrians arrived in Canada. Forty-five per cent of those newcomers were privately sponsored. Data collected from a variety of sources documented the challenges in both government-assisted refugee settlement and settlement by private sponsors.

Private sponsors who were looking for immediate answers to challenges found them by working together — sharing experiences and determining those areas they needed to learn more about. Experienced sponsors began to mentor first-time sponsors on post-arrival issues leading to a resource around best practice. An informal network was born. In 2021, a formal organization, The Private Refugee Sponsor Network (Ontario) was incorporated federally by the Canadian government with provision for networks in all jurisdictions across Canada. Using our model, a national organization could make a significant difference to the settlement of newcomers by private sponsors.

We connect, learn and share through problem-solving, training, and sharing best practice.

Scroll to Top