Kamloops groups ready to welcome Ukrainians when they come

“I’m so proud [of the] Canadian government. I’m so thankful for them because they support Ukrainians,” said Ukrainian TRU student Albina Leskiv whose family lives Kharkiv near the Russian border. “You can be an immigrant from Ukraine. If you’re staying there, you can sign some papers and you can fly here from Ukraine.”

At Kamloops Immigrant Services, which has welcomed refugees to the Interior since 1970, they are ready to welcome those Ukrainians.

“(If) they start coming today, we’re prepared. We’re flexible,” said Liza Ortiz, case manager at Kamloops Immigrant Services.

Ortiz says more realistically, especially with the rental crunch in Kamloops and elsewhere in B.C., it might take up to six weeks for any potential Ukrainian refugees to settle here.

Kamloops Immigrants Services has all the tools to help any Ukrainian thinking about staying either temporarily or permanently.

“We have all kinds of services from counselling, helping them navigate through the emotions and the grieving phase of leaving a life behind to language classes, employment readiness,” said Ortiz.

After two years of not allowing immigrants due to COVID-19, Canada is welcoming them again.

The Kamloops group RAFT, Refugees and Friends Together, is looking at welcoming at least one Ukrainian family or two, although they can’t make any promises at this point.

“RAFT would be open to having a family from Ukraine, but we would also be open to any other family,” said RAFT member Nancy Bepple. “It’s in partnership with the Government of Canada as to who would come to Kamloops.”

It costs $30,000 to sponsor a family and the group is part of an upcoming Columbo Cares dinner on March 16 to raise money.

Kamloops Immigrant Services is ready to welcome Ukrainians tomorrow, as are groups like Sim’ya Ukrainian Society, members who say they’d be willing to open up their home in an instant.

by Chad Klassen

Kamloops groups ready to welcome Ukrainians when they come

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