The Province of Manitoba will welcome nearly 300 Ukrainian refugees sometime next week.

One of three federally arranged chartered flights to transport Ukrainian refugees to Canada will be coming to the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport. Premier Heather Stefanson says the Manitoba government received confirmation Tuesday.

"Since the beginning of this brutal war of aggression, we have been preparing for the potential arrival of thousands of Ukrainians seeking safety and refuge here in Manitoba,” said Stefanson. “We will continue to welcome Ukrainians suffering unimaginable loss with open hearts and open arms, and will support them with a full range of provincial support services including housing arrangements, health and mental health care, education, child care, social assistance, language services and labour market assistance."

We have been receiving countless communications from those uprooted by the war currently being waged by Russia in Ukraine and anxious to find safety," said Joanne Lewandosky, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress-Manitoba Provincial Council. "Many have fled with only the clothes they were wearing and cannot access the financial resources to enable them to travel to Canada. The charter flight being organized will enable up to 300 displaced persons to come to Manitoba, where the Ukrainian community in partnership with governments are providing much-needed supplies and services to help these newcomers settle and adjust. We look forward to their arrival and are prepared to welcome them with all our hearts."

As part of broader collaboration with other Ukrainian-Canadian organizations, the settlement sector, community groups and other non-government organizations, the reception centre provides:

  • initial intake services to determine individual and family needs;
  • temporary accommodations and meals to individuals who have no connection to individuals in Manitoba;
  • access to co-ordinated healthcare services; and
  • orientation and referral services through Manitoba Start, to facilitate awareness of settlement supports that link people to language training, the workforce and longer-term settlement needs.

To date, the reception centre has seen over 340 people from Ukraine, 20 per cent of whom are children.