Latest news with #UkrainianCanadianCongress
CBC
01-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Sask. NDP questions reduced spending for displaced Ukrainians in the province
The provincial government is reducing funding to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) by half a million dollars because the number of displaced Ukrainians arriving in Saskatchewan has dwindled. The UCC says the cuts led to six staff being laid off. NDP MLA Keith Jorgensen calls the cuts horrific, cold and callous.
CBC
15-04-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Ukrainian newcomers in Edmonton scramble to find English classes as federal funding ends
Ukrainian newcomers in Edmonton with temporary Canadian visas are seeking out affordable English classes after the federal government ended its settlement support funding at the end of March. The funding provided subsidized English classes for the past two years, which the Ukrainian Canadian Congress said are vital for the success of newcomers in Canada. "Many have arrived here with very limited or no English," said UCC president Orysia Boychuk. "Without having the English classes, employment becomes extremely challenging and it's also very difficult to get into any kind of post-secondary education for those who want to continue studying or take a trade." Immigration, Refugees and Canadian Citizenship Canada provided the classes, but Boychuk said waitlists for the classes were six months to a year long, meaning some people were never actually placed in a class. "There was a very limited amount of access to the program. So people who actually needed it and enrolled, many have not received the training." Boychuk said it can take over a year for newcomers to learn English well enough to feel comfortable using it at work or school. In a statement to CBC, the IRCC said the settlement services, which also included access to settlement workers who helped newcomers navigate government systems and fill out paperwork "are typically reserved for permanent residents and were intended to provide temporary support to Ukrainians and their family members as they adjusted to life in Canada." The statement goes on to read "while federally funded settlement services are no longer available, many Ukrainians may be able to access similar programs and services through non-IRCC funded settlement service providers, community groups [and different levels of local government]." The Ukrainian Canadian Congress said it is now trying to adjust to the changes and has started offering its own language classes. Without access to federal programming, newcomers have limited options, Boychuk said, and many rely on community organizations to provide affordable programs. English classes at private colleges can cost up to $4,000 for a four-month program. The need for English classes The Islamic Family & Social Services Association provides support for newcomers and refugees and often faces challenges associated with access to English classes. Omar Yaqub is the executive director and said it's not only about ensuring there is enough space in the classes. "When we're pushing people into limited options, we're often pushing them out completely. If you tell a parent who has to pick up a child that 3 p.m. is the only time they can take a class, you are essentially telling them they can't take a class," said Yaqub. Yaqub said it's also important for newcomers to begin English classes within a few months of their arrival, otherwise it can lead to social isolation and poverty. To help ensure success for newcomers, Yaqub said English education should be treated similar to the public school system. He wants to see standardization and a curriculum that both private and public organizations can follow. "If we want to be able to continue to grow, to continue to be prosperous, we need immigration. If we want immigration to be successful, then we need our language training to also keep up with the needs we see."
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Diaspora urges Canada and allies to provide Ukraine with weapons to defend against Russian attacks
Ukrainian Canadian Congress President Alexandra Chyczij has stated that the horrific bloodshed Russia is committing in Ukraine will not stop until Canada and its allies provide Ukraine with the necessary weapons and air defence systems to protect its cities and defeat Russia. Source: Ukrinform news agency Quote: "The inhuman carnage that Russia is committing against Ukraine will not stop until Canada and allies provide Ukraine the weapons and air defence systems needed to protect Ukrainian cities and defeat Russia." Details: Chyczij also reiterated the words of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had said that talks with Russia would not stop the Russian bombs and missiles targeting Ukraine. She stressed that Canada and its allies "need to increase sanctions and designate Russia a terrorist state" instead of outrageously appeasing it. Background: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that his country had not yet made a final decision regarding participation in a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine following the end of the war. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
CBC
12-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
'It was very, very kind': Ukrainian refugees praise reception, ponder future in Saskatchewan
Alina Shylan came to Canada from Ukraine as a government sponsored refugee in July 2022. Before the war began, she worked in Kiev as a consultant at a radio station. Shylan said the first thing she remembers from her arrival is how well welcoming Regina's community was from the moment she landed at the airport. "People were very warm and welcome," she said. "We felt like we are like in a small family in Canada. So it was very, very kind." She praised the support she and other refugees received when they first arrived. She was quickly able to open a bank account, receive a social security number and register for English language courses. Shylan now works in a casual position with the City of Regina, but said she is seeking ways to become a permanent resident. "Of course Ukrainians want to go back," she said. "But the war will not stop. And even if stopped today, in five years it can continue when Putin is recharged." On Tuesday, American officials announced that Ukraine had accepted a 30-day ceasefire deal during negotiations in Saudi Arabia. They are now awaiting a Russian response to the proposal. In the meantime, many Ukrainian refugees in Saskatchewan are waiting to see how they can stay in the province. On Feb. 18, the Saskatchewan government paused the intake of new job approvals for the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program (SNIP). The program is used by many immigrants and refugees, including Ukrainians, to find full-time work and build a path toward permanent residency. In a statement, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Immigration and Career training said the pause was a result of the federal government cutting provincial nominee program allocations by 50 per cent. On Feb. 27, the federal government announced it was extending visas to Mar. 31, 2026, for Ukrainians in the country under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel visa. The move gave Ukrainian refugees another year to apply for or renew work and study permits. Drew Wilby, Saskatchewan's deputy minister of immigration and career training, said the federal government should open up more pathways for Ukrainian refugees to come to the province. He said about 8,000 Ukrainians have come to Saskatchewan since the war began. Of those, more than 600 of them have gained permanent residency, 550 of them through the Saskatchewan Immigrant Nominee Program. "We'll continue to do that and prioritize those folks that do apply into that SINP program once we've released the slight pause that we're undergoing right now to accommodate the federal changes to our provincial programs," he said. A deep well of support Much of the support that refugees like Shylan received when they first arrived were the work of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, which has provided a suite of accommodations for Ukrainian newcomers since the war began. Elena Krueger became president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress of Saskatchewan just two weeks before the Russian invasion, and helped organize a pivot from primarily promoting cultural programming for Ukrainian Canadians to marshalling volunteers to provide resources to waves of refugees. "Things just really exploded," she said. "Suddenly we were meeting all the time. How can we help people? What's our next step? How will we organize opportunities for people to find shelter?" Krueger credits Saskatchewan's large Ukrainian community as the backbone of the effort. According to the 2021 Canadian census, about 140,000 people in Saskatchewan claim Ukrainian ancestry. "There's that family feeling, that connection to community, that warm welcome," she said.
CBC
03-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Calgary's Ukrainian community rallies after Trump-Zelenskyy clash
Hundreds of people rallied at Calgary's Municipal Plaza Sunday in the wake of a heated exchange between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President and Vice-President Donald Trump and JD Vance at the White House on Friday. Roman Yosyfiv, president of the Calgary branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, says Sunday's rally was especially important because of how crucial it is that Ukraine continues to receive support from powerful nations like the United States. "This is the DNA of Ukrainians. If something happens, they want to get together and support each other. Even we are miles away from Ukraine," he said. Yosyfiv adds the rally was also an opportunity to show gratitude to Canada for taking in so many refugees from Ukraine after the invasion began. "We appreciate [you] for hosting us here, helping us. I have been enough in Canada to call Canada my home. But for those who just came, Canada became a safe place for their families and kids." Iryna Musiienko, who attended the rally, came to Canada from Ukraine in 2022, fleeing Russia's invasion of her country. She says the fact that Ukraine is still battling Russian forces years later is baffling, and hopes for a swift end to the war. "My heart brought me here, like everyone else who is here now," Musiienko said. "I came here to support my country. I came here to support my homeland. I came here to [stand] with Ukraine." WATCH | Trump, Vance, Zelenskyy clash in the Oval Office: 'Without us, you don't have any cards,' Trump says in heated exchange with Zelenskyy 2 days ago Duration 10:34 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice-President J.D. Vance had a tense exchange at the White House on Friday, with the U.S. leaders calling Zelenskyy 'disrespectful' and calling for the Ukrainian leader to thank them for assistance. Musiienko says the exchange between Zelenskyy and the leaders of the United States made her feel isolated from the rest of the world. "My opinion is that Trump, he's scared of Russian President [Vladimir Putin] and that's why he is trying to fight and put the pressure on our president, Zelenskyy," she said. "And I'm really proud of my president and my country." Pavlo Karach came to Canada in 2022. He says he normally doesn't attend rallies, but as tensions rose between Ukraine and the U.S. following Friday's row at the White House, he felt obligated to show up in solidarity with his community. "Ukraine was humiliated publicly, and I think it's not right. We have to show that you cannot humiliate [an entire] nation in front of the whole world like this … I felt like I needed to come and see other Ukrainians," he said. Karach said coming together with his peers lifted his spirits, and made him feel optimistic about the future. Rally-goer Yulia Pashchuk came to Canada in 2012. She says it warmed her heart to see hundreds of people gather in Calgary to support her country. She adds watching the tense argument between Zelenskyy, Trump and Vance on Friday made her angry. "It's such a disgrace. I couldn't believe [it,] how is this happening? It's the highest level of politics — it looked like high school bullying," Pashchuk said.
