Alberta committing additional supports for Ukrainian refugees

Every day more Ukrainians citizens fleeing war arrive in Alberta, and the provincial government is pledging additional supports.

Primer Jason Kenney joined community leaders at the Taste of Ukraine in St. Albert to announce upwards of $2 million to support settlement and language services in the province.

“We will welcome with warm arms any who come to Alberta.”

Alberta announces $2m for rapid settlement of Ukrainian coming to Alberta, including immediate health coverage and school enrolment #ableg #abpoli pic.twitter.com/X61H7VIiCu

— Carly Robinson (@CarlyDRobinson) April 20, 2022

“We’re expanding access to benefits, and services, that would not normally be awarded to temporary residents.” The premier stressed these are services that would typically be there for refugees coming through the more traditional settlement steams, however, to speed up the process Canada is accepting emergency visas for Ukrainian citizens, with the possibility of permanent residency if needed.

There’s no official tracking of the number of Ukrainian refugees arriving in different provinces, however, the president of the Alberta chapter of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress says they are seeing upward of 10 people arriving a day.

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While the majority have family or connections to Alberta to help them navigate the process, in the last week a new problem.

“They are arriving with no place to go,” says Orysia Boychuk. “There is no shelter. It’s that’s another gap.”

She is hopeful the provincial support announced Tuesday will help in filling gaps, particularly in helping those arriving find employment.

“There will be some urgency to get to work right away,” Boychuk sharing a conversation she recently had with four Ukrainian athletes staying in Canada after the World Deaf Curling Championship in Banff whose number one priority is finding a job.

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“Ukraine has its own sign language, so they’ve been learning a new sign language here. But they are adapting, they are very eager and keen and wanting to get to work”

Boychuk says, based on the number of Ukrainians who have applied for Alberta Health Care Cards, there are over 300 so far.