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Prime Minister Stephen Harper faces a rising tide of political pressure to admit more Syrian refugees into the country immediately, with even a prominent critic of the massive 1979 airlift of Vietnamese boat people suggesting Canada needs to do more.

Calls for greater action came from all levels of government and all over Canada Friday, from Ontario’s Liberals challenging Ottawa to admit 5,000 more Syrian refugees by year end to Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi saying it is a “disgrace” Canada has not already admitted the refugees it has promised to take.

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“Without the will of the government, no amount of civilian support will actually help us get Syrian refugees to this country,” said Ratna Omidvar, who heads up Lifeline Syria, an organization that is trying to resettle 1,000 refugees in the Greater Toronto Area.

On Friday — the day after the image of Alan Kurdi lying dead, face down on a Turkish beach, appeared on front pages across the country — Ontario pledged an additional $300,000 to Lifeline Syria so they can hire case workers to help refugees get settled in Canada. New Brunswick and Nova Scotia both donated $50,000 to relief efforts. Manitoba pledged an additional $40,000 to aid Syrian refugee settlement in the province.