Lisa Bamford and Multicultural Association of Fredericton

Saint John River: Lisa Bamford, executive director of the Multicultural Association of Fredericton, which is in charge of the project, described the refugees as "vulnerable people" whose privacy must be protected. "They are not commodities," she said Tuesday as dozens of men, women and children milled about the lobby of the resort on the Saint John River. "We have to respect and protect their privacy." Bamford declined to say how many refugees were staying at the resort, where they came from, how long they were expected to stay or how many more were expected to arrive, according to The Chronicle Herald. Earlier this week, a local media report said that as of last Wednesday, dozens of Syrian refugees were arriving daily at the 14-hectare resort, which is typically experiencing slow business at this time of year. Local officials are restricting journalists' access to the site, citing privacy concerns. General manager Shane Hashemi told the Fredericton Gleaner there were 90 refugees at the resort by last weekend and up to 250 in total were expected to arrive in the days ahead, filling the hotel to capacity. He is also quoted as saying security guards were hired to make sure the children don't go near the river or the highway. Hashemi said extra cribs and playpens were brought in because the average family has an average of five children in tow. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.