Natalia Haidash’s excitement was palpable on Tuesday morning.
It was the day that 170 Ukrainians, including two members of her own family, had to arrive in New Brunswick fleeing the ongoing war in their homeland.
“I was half crying and half laughing,” said Haidash of the Ukrainian Monkton Association.
“I’m so overwhelmed by everything.”
Natalia Haidash of the Ukrainian Moncton Association was at the airport to welcome everyone, including two members of her own family. She said she hopes the rest of her family will join her soon. (CBC)
The flight landed in Moncton shortly after 4 p.m.
The Ukrainians were greeted on the runway at Greater Moncton International Airport by representatives of the New Brunswick government, including Prime Minister Blaine Higgs, a lieutenant governor. Brenda Murphy and Arlene Dunn, the Minister for Immigration and Opportunities in New Brunswick.
There was a hurried scene in the terminal, where the newcomers met for the first time with the hosts, who will help them settle and settle in their new country.
Prime Minister Blaine Higgs welcomed two young Ukrainians to the countryside after their plane landed in Moncton. (Radio Canada)
Representatives of Opportunities New Brunswick distributed information packs about the countryside for adults and bags of treats with coloring books, pastels and snacks for children.
Higgs said it was a big day not only for newcomers fleeing the war in Ukraine, but also for the countryside.
“We are happy to be able to do our part and we are happy that 170 people are arriving today,” Higgs said.
One of the 170 Ukrainians who arrived in Moncton on Tuesday afternoon. (Radio Canada)
“Whether they make New Brunswick at home permanently, [or are] they can return to their homeland, we certainly want to make them realize that they have been here as long as they want and need to be. “
To say that this was a big day for Haidash may be an understatement.
Her niece and daughter-in-law were two of the people in the field.
A charter plane landed at Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport with people fleeing the war in Ukraine. (Radio Canada)
They had visited Moncton before, but the second visit was postponed, first because of the COVID-19 pandemic and then the war.
“I haven’t seen them in three years,” Haidash said.
Planning for success
Many partners are working with the province to ensure that the integration of newcomers to the province is successful, according to a statement from Opportunities New Brunswick.
Spokesman David Kelly said the province’s focus was on those with friends or family in New Brunswick, as well as people who had a job offer or “met the needs of the job market.”
“Many really have tidy jobs, others we contact our Working NB offices and will help them find work,” he said in an email.
The Ukrainians, who arrived on Tuesday, are part of an immigration program run by the federal government that is speeding up the requests of people actively fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine. People who arrive under this program can work and study in the country for three years. At the end of their stay, they can also apply for permanent residence.
The program was recently updated to include a one-time, non-taxable financial aid of $ 3,000 for an adult and $ 1,500 for a child.
Community, province looking for foster families
Most of the Ukrainian newcomers will move to Moncton, St. John and Fredericton.
Higgs said some who arrive may need to stay with foster families while seeking housing.
Ukrainian troops pass by a building badly damaged by a Russian bombing in Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, on May 28, 2022. Many people are forced to flee their homes while the war continues. (Francisco Seco / Associated Press)
Therefore, the province asks people who are interested in family accommodation to send an email to ukrainesupport@onbcanada.ca to “contact the nearest settlement agency”.
Kelly said the province links all newcomers to settlement agencies, “to make sure they have a safe landing in NB”
Because of how quickly people get approval to enter Canada, some turn to social media to find hosts.
Carol Ailes launched the Facebook group Atlantic Canada Hosts for Ukrainians when she was first touched by the story of resettlement in this Eastern European country. In just a few months, the group recruited 9,000 members, including Ukrainians, their families and local people, offering everything from accommodation to clothing donations.
“As a host, you will try to give them some stability, an opportunity to feel comfortable where they live. So you just try to think not what you want, but what they want. What they need,” she told Information Morning. Fredericton.
Ailes, who lives in St. John’s, said people will need help not only to sort out their documents, but also to find a place to live and learn about the state of the earth. She said her Facebook group connects people, but is not affiliated with any settlement agencies.
Catherine Melvin, general manager of Newcomer Connections at Greater Saint John’s YMCA, said any Ukrainian arriving in the city is welcome to access Y’s services, including help with school registration, language lessons and creation of social security numbers and bank accounts.
She said local hosts were also invited to use their services, whether they contacted family privately or through the agency.
“We have a lot of systems and connections,” she said.
Ailes took her own Ukrainian guests from Halifax last week and prepared a room in her house for them.
“[It’s] it’s nice to have at least separate rooms for parents and children … in most cases you share a kitchen and a bathroom. “
Ailles said people often have three or four days to travel to New Brunswick, and they probably need time to rest and put things in order when they arrive. Preparing clothes and food for them and helping them apply for a medical card would take a lot of weight off their shoulders in the first few days.
“[It] I feel great to help connect people … it’s even more wonderful to see them meet at the airport. “
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