Canada's fourth wireless carrier, Wind Mobile, is planning to give refugees free cellphones and wireless service, and it's calling on Canadians to donate their "surplus" phones.
The mobile carrier is partnering with Lifeline Syria, a group that's working to bring 1,000 refugees to Greater Toronto.
"Canadians are responding with compassion and generosity to the plight of Syrians who have been forced to flee their homeland. We want to do what we can to help," Wind Mobile's vice-president for marketing, Jennifer Douglas, said in a statement.
"Access to mobile communications can help them make a smooth transition to life in Canada."
Wind's plan appears to be to provide refurbished phones to refugee families. It has partnered on the initiative with Hyla Mobile, a company that "extends the life cycle of mobile phones."
Anyone who wants to help can bring an old cellphone to any Wind Mobile location, the company said.
Wind has not said how many refugee families it will provide with wireless service.
It's one of a growing number of businesses that have stepped in to help in the federal government's effort to resettle 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canada.
Both Air Canada and Enerjet have offered free flights to bring the refugees over. Some Alberta-based apartment building owners have offered discounts on housing, while some Vancouver developers have offered temporary shelter for arriving refugees.
