Alberta to support arriving Ukrainians with health care, jobs and education

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney gives a COVID-19 update in Calgary, Alta., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

Ukrainians who temporarily move to Alberta as the Russian invasion continues in their home country will immediately be able to access health care, go to school and get help to find work.

Premier Jason Kenney announced Alberta's latest $2-million commitment from Taste of Ukraine in St. Albert Wednesday morning.

Ukrainians fleeing the war and arriving in Alberta will be able to access health coverage, enrol children in K-12 schools, get a driver's licence, and get help looking for jobs.

"People fleeing their country having left everything behind, who often will arrive here not speaking English, and sometimes having no relatives or friends are in significant need of immediate and comprehensive support so that they can begin to live secure lives here but also cope with trauma and other challenges that they bring with them from the conflict," Kenney said.

"We wanted to look at the full spectrum of government programs to ensure rapid access because these individuals already faced enough adversity in recent weeks and we need to be there to support them."

There are more than 350,000 people with Ukrainian origin in Alberta.

"Alberta owes a huge debt of gratitude to Ukrainians who arrived in the past and helped inspire the values that help define Alberta's success today," Labour and Immigration Minister Kaycee Madu said.

Ukrainians arriving in Canada are temporary residents as part of a federal program, and Kenney said they would not qualify for most of the benefits Alberta expanded for them on Wednesday.

"It's possible that these folks will stay," Kenney added. "God forbid that the conflict goes on and they can't return home, in which case they will eventually transition into permanent residency and we will assist them with that."