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This article was published 25/04/2022 (411 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

As the province prepares to accept more Ukrainians fleeing the war in eastern Europe, it has made a $5.1-million investment in 15 support organizations for newcomers.

Most of the funding ($3 million) will go to Manitoba Start — a service that connects newcomers to local employers — to improve on services already in place.

“We have a new commitment, and that’s to the Ukrainians. We will be using some of that funding as we, right now, work out the (refugee) response centre,” Manitoba Start executive director Judith Hayes said Monday.

“So we’ll be using some of that funding to make sure we meet the needs of the Ukrainians, and we will also add to the career development that we do because we’ll have other clients coming, as well. We’ll enhance the services we already provide.”

The other $2.1 million will go to 14 organizations across the province that focus on resettling newcomers to Manitoba. Around 6,000 people are set to be affected by the investment, which comes after the province called on organizations that serve newcomers to apply for funding earlier this year.

It was an emotional announcement for Advanced Education, Skills and Immigration Minister Jon Reyes, who said he was reminded of his parents’ own start as immigrants to Manitoba.

“I knew there were barriers at times, and that’s why we have great organizations like Manitoba Start that helps newcomers become gainfully employed, to be part of society, to become part of this thriving workforce that we want to do.”

Fifty files of Ukrainian refugees (meaning either individuals or families) have been registered with the province’s reception centre near the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport since it opened last week. The centre offers settlement plans for newcomers, including help finding accommodation, registering children for school, and finding employment.

This isn’t an accurate marker of how many people have actually arrived in Manitoba, a spokesman from the province said, noting this only accounts for those arriving in Winnipeg by air who chose to use the service. The actual number arriving is likely higher, the province said.

Reyes said he couldn’t give a timeline of when more displaced Ukrainian would be set to arrive.

“I can’t tell you a timeframe, but I can tell you we are ready,” the minister said.

Three families are staying in the reception centre’s hotel space, the provincial spokesman said, and a task force was working to receive “thousands” of potential arrivals.

“Its mission is to ensure that a full range of available provincial service supports is available to Ukrainians fleeing this brutal war of aggression when they get here,” he said in an email.

— with files from Danielle Da Silva

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca