As Montreal gears up to welcome thousands of refugees, some information has emerged about the cost of helping them settle.

Michel Dorais was selected by Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre to lead the efforts at a cost of $1,800 a day.

A spokesperson for the mayor told CTV they won't be commenting on the matter, but CTV has learned that Dorais's appointment was approved at a closed-door executive committee meeting last week.
 

The details of that contract were leaked and it shows that Dorais will be paid $110,000 for a three-month contract.

That includes vacation pay and compensation for not being part of the city's pension plan.

Dorais was chosen for his experience. He served as the federal government’s deputy minister of immigration and citizenship from 1998-2004, working under then-minister Denis Coderre.

That wealth of experience doesn't justify the high paycheque, according to Projet Montreal, who say this hiring shows a lack of transparency and confidence in the thousands of employees working for the city.

“Welcoming and integrating thousands of refugees in the city of Montreal is much more than a three-month proposition,” said Projet Montreal’s finance critic Guillaume Lavoie. “It's going to be a long-term commitment which would make much more sense to have someone from the city to coordinate that in the long run. And at 1,800 a day – that makes roughly close to $500,000 a year? That's going to make Mr. Dorais the highest paid employee in the history of the city.”

Watch the full interview with Lavoie here.

The union that represents city workers is also upset about this hire and is planning on filing a grievance.

Welcome centre

There is no official word yet on exactly when the first planes will arrive in Montreal, but privately chartered aircrafts and military airplanes, if needed, will start transporting the refugees to Canada through Trudeau and Toronto’s Pearson airports beginning in December.

A welcome centre is in the works in Montreal, likely at a Government of Canada building on Montee de Liesse near Trudeau Airport. It is believed that once they land, they will be brought to the centre to receive some clothes, and perhaps a chance to rest and drink water.

The majority of refugees arriving first are those sponsored by private organizations and families, so the welcome centre would call the sponsors to collect the refugees upon their arrival.