Doug Ford pledges millions to help Ukrainians coming to Ontario

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This article was published 05/04/2022 (949 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ontario is extending a welcoming hand to Ukrainian refugees with up to $300 million in financial support.

The estimated 40,000 Ukrainians expected to arrive in Ontario following the Russian invasion of Ukraine will get immediate and free coverage under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan, drug benefits, and emergency housing assistance through Ukrainian community organizations and service agencies, Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday.

Children can also attend Ontario public schools at no cost, “solidarity” scholarships will be offered on an emergency basis at publicly funded colleges and universities, and adults seeking jobs can take advantage of a website at ukrainianjobs@ontario.ca or call a hotline at 1-888-562-4769.

“We will have all the critical supports that they need,” Ford said at St. Demetrius Catholic School in central Etobicoke, crediting local families who are already taking Ukrainian arrivals in for “stepping up massively.”

Housing assistance could include hotels or motels if necessary, Ford said.

He invited companies with job openings to get in touch with the government through the website or hotline.

“If you’re an employer and you want to help some really great, great skilled people, please go online or make a phone call.”

Labour Minister Monte McNaughton said most Ukrainian refugees are likely to be women and children because men of fighting age must stay in the country to battle the Russians.

“My heart goes out to families fleeing this tragedy,” said McNaughton, who noted about 30,000 jobs are available through unions and other organizations ready to hire Ukrainians able to fill the vacancies.

“Many people in Ukraine speak English now,” said Marc Shwec, chair of the Stand With Ukraine committee of the Ukrainian-Canadian Congress. “This is not 30 years ago.”

The first wave of Ukrainians to arrive here have been those who left “pre-emptively” as the war began or were caught outside their country while on vacation and could not get home, he said. They typically had travel visas to get to Canada and family or friends here.

A “second wave” whose homes and lives have been shattered by Russian attacks are coming soon, providing they can get the biometric scans necessary to finalize Canadian travel documents — something that is not easily done because there only a few locations in Europe to do so, said Shwec.

Some are having difficulty filling out all the required forms, which are in English, added Shwec, who urged the federal government to make them available in Ukrainian.

He expects some Ukrainians will come temporarily until the situation stabilizes in their country and they see brighter prospects, while others will try to stay in European nations — particularly younger mothers with children whose husbands have stayed behind to fight.

“You’d want to be close.”

Green Leader Mike Schreiner applauded the assistance from Ontario, which Ford said has been in the works for weeks.

“This is something many people have been asking about,” Schreiner said.

Rob Ferguson is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @robferguson1