'They’ve come together as a larger Ukrainian family': Ukrainian refugees finding support in small Sask. centres
'They’ve come together as a larger Ukrainian family': Ukrainian refugees finding support in small Sask. centres
As Saskatchewan welcomed the fifth and final flight of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the Russian invasion of their country, volunteers across the province were getting ready for the influx. In particular, smaller communities across the province have been hoping to entice newcomers to their areas.
Two hundred and thirty Ukrainians arrived in Regina Monday. While some will stay in that city and some will head to Saskatoon, smaller cities like Prince Albert have been actively recruiting too.
“Fifty-four families have arrived, and those 54 families are now connecting. Although they’ve come from different parts of Ukraine they’ve come together as a larger Ukrainian family,” Sonya Jhan, settlement volunteer in Prince Albert told CTV News.
There’s a similar situation in North Battleford where 31 families have arrived since last spring.
In Humboldt, there are 15 families who are getting translation support in addition to much more.
Many Ukrainian families are enjoying settling in smaller space in Saskatchewan. (Humboldt Regional Newcomers Centre )
“I go into the banks with newcomers, schools and any kind of doctor appointments,” Yuliya Cadrain, Humboldt Regional Newcomer Centre told CTV News.
Cadrain admits finding accommodation in the smaller centres is easier and rent is cheaper, which is appealing along with small-town support. Posts asking for help on Facebook get a quick response, something she says is easier to pull off in a smaller place.
“Posts looking for furniture or tables get an answer and comments right away. Beds or kitchen table, and you get a response. I have this, I can deliver. It’s amazing,” she said.
Jobs in all these smaller cities are abundant, according to those we reached out to, which is the other big draw.
“We certainly have many employment opportunities that there will be plenty of work. As of the beginning of this year, we’ve had over 500 employment opportunities in PA and surrounding areas alone,” she says.
The Ukrainian newcomers' group in Prince Albert has also been working to establish a Ukrainian preschool program, which will attract young families.
“Because of the economic gains that families can gain by living in a smaller centre, PA would be a place of choice,” she says.
Ukrainians coming to these centres are finding employment quickly. Part of the reason, according to Cadrain is that in Ukraine there are few social supports, so these newcomers are used to fending for themselves. Language isn’t as big of a barrier either since word of mouth has gotten around about the good work Ukrainians are doing, she said. Translation apps are helping out also, and those who had little English initially are learning it quickly through classes offered through the community or online courses.
“The other employers who already hired Ukrainians are sharing their experience that Ukrainian workers are fast learners,” she said.
With the latest group of displaced Ukrainians now on Saskatchewan soil, recruiters are hoping to see some of the newcomers try out life in their smaller communities.
Canada's special rapporteur on foreign interference David Johnston is being questioned by MPs at committee about his role, his report into election meddling, his decision against a public inquiry, and allegations of a conflict of interest.
Prince Harry entered a courtroom witness box Tuesday, swearing to tell the truth in testimony against a tabloid publisher he accuses of phone hacking and other unlawful snooping.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
Many Canadian parents are stretching themselves thin — even going as far as to postpone their retirement in some cases — in order to help pay for their children’s education, according to a new survey.
Police in Australia are investigating the suspicious death of a woman who used to live in Surrey, BC, after her body was found in her apartment on the outskirts of Sydney.
The wall of a major dam in a part of southern Ukraine that Moscow controls collapsed Tuesday, triggering floods, endangering Europe's largest nuclear power plant and threatening drinking water supplies as both sides in the war rushed to evacuate residents and blamed each other for the emergency.
A huge Soviet-era dam on the Dnipro River that separates Russian and Ukrainian forces in southern Ukraine was breached on Tuesday, unleashing floodwaters across the war zone.
Astrud Gilberto, the Brazilian singer, songwriter and entertainer whose off-hand, English-language cameo on 'The Girl from Ipanema' made her a worldwide voice of bossa nova, has died at age 83.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
A Ukrainian woman who now lives in Winnipeg is hoping one day she will be able to bring her husband's remains to her new home, a place he hoped one day he too would be able to call home.
Manitoba Public Insurance is suing the Manitoba government, a Manitoba construction company and an unidentified employee for more than $31,000 saying road work damaged 12 vehicles in 2021.
Calgary-based Cenovus Energy says it has safely restarted a portion of its production that was shut down because of the threat of wildfires in northern and central Alberta.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
Edmonton police launched a new tool Monday to encourage reports of "hate incidents," something officers believe will help them track people who may escalate to "hate crimes."
Many Canadian parents are stretching themselves thin — even going as far as to postpone their retirement in some cases — in order to help pay for their children’s education, according to a new survey.
A grieving widow whose husband was run over and killed by a speeding OPP officer can't believe the force told her it won't hold a public hearing into the case because it decided the misconduct was 'not serious.'
Officials are asking people living around Centennial Lake to evacuate their homes as a forest fire burns in the area west of Calabogie, Ont. An evacuation order has been extended to Wednesday afternoon.
Capital Pride will be receiving money from the federal government to cover costs of added security measures at this year's Pride parade and other events.
The provincial wildfire service is warning British Columbians to have a go-bag and make an evacuation plan with this year's wildfire season off to an alarming start.
Real estate experts say B.C.’s housing market is heating back after cooling off due to rising interest rates but the future is uncertain as several economists expect the Bank of Canada to hike rates again.
Police in Australia are investigating the suspicious death of a woman who used to live in Surrey, BC, after her body was found in her apartment on the outskirts of Sydney.
A 53-year-old man was shot and killed in the Montreal suburb of Dorval on Monday afternoon. A source told CTV News that the victim is Francesco Del Balso, who has links to Montreal's Mafia.
The numerous forest fires raging in certain regions of Quebec have led to thousands of evacuations since the weekend and continue to threaten infrastructure on Tuesday. Temporary accommodation centres have been opened in nine municipalities on the Côte-Nord, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue and in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, to accommodate evacuees.
The province is revealing its housing cards, as 37 more municipalities have been identified as the next group that will be required to create housing targets in their communities to help combat the ongoing housing shortfall.
A wildfire that has been burning out of control on Vancouver Island since Sunday morning is now estimated to cover approximately 20 hectares of dense forest near Port Alberni.
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
A grieving widow whose husband was run over and killed by a speeding OPP officer can't believe the force told her it won't hold a public hearing into the case because it decided the misconduct was 'not serious.'
Canada's emergency preparedness minister says images of wildfires burning across the country are some of the most severe ever witnessed in Canada and the current forecast for the next few months indicates the potential for continued higher-than-normal fire activity.
Officials are asking people living around Centennial Lake to evacuate their homes as a forest fire burns in the area west of Calabogie, Ont. An evacuation order has been extended to Wednesday afternoon.
On this day in 2021, four out of five members of a London, Ont. family were killed while they were out for a walk and struck by a vehicle, in an apparently deliberate attack.
One person has died after a motorcycle crash in Lambton County. The crash happened June 2 just before 9:30 p.m. and officers responded to a ditch on Shiloh Line in Petrolia.
Many Ukrainian families are enjoying settling in smaller space in Saskatchewan. (Humboldt Regional Newcomers Centre )
