If you’re planning on visiting Windsor, Ont., in the near-future, there are at least three hotels you can cross off your list in terms of seeking accommodation: the Best Western, Holiday Inn, and the Hilton Doubletree.

We’re sure these are superb hotels — in fact, we recall staying at the Holiday Inn back in February 2022 when a freedom convoy was demonstrating near the Ambassador Bridge, and it was fine. But all these hotels are now 100% booked. And besides, all the rooms have been set aside for a specific kind of clientele: namely, refugee-claimants.

For the hotels, it’s a sweet arrangement: accommodating illegal aliens means 100% occupancy for months on end, presumably with the federal government paying full rack rate. As for the taxpayer? Well, that’s a different story. Because not only are Canadians on the hook for these hotel accommodations, but a per diem meal allowance, cab chits, clothing — the list goes on. Translation: untold millions of dollars are being spent on those who are not even citizens — and might not even qualify to be citizens. And it’s not just in Windsor, but also in cities such as Cornwall, Ottawa, Toronto, and even the honeymoon capital of the world, Niagara Falls (during peak tourism season, no less).

Apparently, most of the refugees crossed over from New York state to Quebec via the notorious Roxham Road. Others were apparently bussed from New York to Detroit, then crossed over into Windsor either via the Ambassador Bridge or the Windsor-Detroit tunnel.

According to mainstream media reports, the federal government told Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens that the peak number of hotel rooms needed for refugee accommodation would be capped at 500, although at one point, 645 rooms were being occupied housing some 1,100 illegal aliens.

We met up with Chris Soda, who unsuccessfully ran for Windsor Ward 2 Councillor last fall; Soda weighed in on the refugee accommodation issues Windsor is facing.

Incidentally, we happened to bump into current Ward 2 Councillor, Fabio Costante during our impromptu refugee hotel tour. We wanted to ask him a few queries about the situation, but alas: he literally ran away. The question arises: why?