Skip to Main content

15.47°^C Vancouver

News Entertainment Videos Shows Podcast Contact Us

Feb 8, 2023 9:22 PM - Connect News

'Keep Canada's doors open to Ukrainians' : Refugee groups

Share On

keep-canadas-doors-open-to-ukrainians-refugee-groups

As of Jan. 29, more than 150,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada since the Russian invasion of their country last year (Photo: The Canadian Press)

Humanitarian groups that have been supporting Ukrainian refugees are calling on Ottawa to extend a special immigration program that allows people fleeing Ukraine to temporarily live, work and study in Canada.

The program provides Ukrainians and their families with a visa to stay in Canada for up to three years while they figure out their next steps, but applications are due to close on March 31.

As of Jan. 29, more than 150,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada since the Russian invasion of their country last year.

Four organizations that represent Canadian volunteers, hosts and sponsors have written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, asking them to keep the door open beyond the planned deadline.

They are also asking that the one-time financial supports the government has been providing to Ukrainian newcomers continue past June, when they are set to expire.

Pathfinders for Ukraine, North America for Ukraine, 4Ukraine.ca and Safe Passage 4 Ukraine have been working to help refugees navigate the immigration system and settle in Canada.

Latest news

alberta-adds-citizenship-status-to-id-cards-to-streamline-service-protect-elections

AlbertaSep 15, 2025

Alberta adds citizenship status to ID cards to streamline service, protect elections

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government is adding proof of citizenship markers to driver's licences and other forms of identification to streamline services and prevent election fraud. She says this will make it easier for students and the disabled to get funding given they have to prove their citizenship to do so. She says the goal is also to protect democracy to make sure that only citizens vote. Smith says non-citizens like permanent residents who can get a driver's licences will not have any notation on their IDs. Alberta Health Care numbers will also be added to

vancouver-police-investigates-fatal-collision

Vancouver Police investigates fatal collision

Vancouver Police are investigating a single-vehicle collision that resulted in the death of a 58-year-old driver. VPD officers responded at 10:50 p.m. on Sunday, after a blue 2020 Kia Rio collided with a concrete barrier at the south end of Main Street, near East Kent Avenue. The lone occupant suffered grave injuries and later died. The cause of the collision is under investigation. Witnesses, or anyone with dash-cam video from the area around the time of the collision, are asked to contact the VPD Collision Investigation Unit at 604-717-3012.

loss-of-carbon-tax-boosts-b-c-deficit-as-economic-growth-set-to-slide

Loss of carbon tax boosts B.C. deficit as economic growth set to slide

British Columbia's forecasted deficit has hit a record high of almost $11.6 billion for the first quarter of the 2025-2026 fiscal year, largely due to the elimination of the carbon tax and amid ``global trade uncertainty.'' Finance Minister Brenda Bailey is also projecting higher deficits than she previously forecasted through to 2028 as growth slides, while the province's debt is predicted to spike by almost $60 billion over the next two fiscal years. Bailey's fiscal update revises gross domestic product growth down to 1.5 per cent from 1.8 per cent in 2025, and to 1.3 per cent fro

surrey-b-c-issues-extortion-rewards-citing-dozens-of-threats

Surrey Extortion Reward Fund and tip line established to combat extortion

Today, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and Chief Constable Norm Lipinski (Surrey Police Service chief) announced a reward of up to $250,000 for tips on the increasing number of extortion incidents in Surrey. Mayor Brenda Locke said the money will be given to those whose information is useful and leads to arrests, prosecutions and convictions in cases. The money will only be given after and in accordance to the value of the information (based on assessing the value of information). A separate Surrey Extortion tip line has been set up to provide tips. Chief Constable Norm Lipinski said, “the tip li

jason-kenney-warns-of-deeply-divisive-impact-of-a-sovereignty-referendum-in-alberta

AlbertaSep 15, 2025

Jason Kenney warns of ‘deeply divisive’ impact of a sovereignty referendum in Alberta

Former Alberta premier Jason Kenney is painting a bleak picture of what will happen if Albertans are forced to vote on a referendum on separation, calling it a deeply divisive, non-violent version of a civil war. Kenney, Alberta's premier from 2019 to 2022, says a small minority of angry people should not be able to push a separatist agenda that impacts everyone in the province. He says it's deeply divisive and would divide families, friends and communities if it goes forward. Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservative government is officially lowering the required threshold for

Related News

High-speed rail construction could begin in four years, LeBlanc says

High-speed rail construction could begin in four years, LeBlanc says

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says the government's new major projects office will work to get construction underway on the Alto high-speed rail line within four years. He says the work would determine the final route for the planned high-speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City. Former prime minister Justin Trudeau announced in February that the government had awarded a $3.9-billion, six-year contract to a consortium to design the project. The 1,000-kilometre high-speed rail network would take passengers from Montreal to Toronto in just three hours on trains travelling

G7 finance ministers meet to discuss increasing pressure on Russia

G7 finance ministers meet to discuss increasing pressure on Russia

Canada hosted a virtual meeting of G7 finance ministers today to discuss further measures to increase the pressure on Russia. John Fragos, press secretary for the minister of finance and national revenue, says the group also talked about ways to limit Russia's "war machinery." Fragos says the G7 is united in its opposition to Russia’s "illegal and unjustified" war on Ukraine. He also says Canada is deeply concerned by Russia’s escalation of the conflict in the wake of Wednesday's Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace. The G7 group is made up of Canada, the United States, France, Ger

Nepal's president appoints former chief justice as interim premier and first woman leader

Nepal's president appoints former chief justice as interim premier and first woman leader

Nepal's president has appointed former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki as interim prime minister, the first woman to head the South Asian country's government, following massive protests that collapsed the previous administration. Karki, a popular figure when serving as the court's only female chief justice in 2016 and 2017, was to be sworn in later Friday. The appointment was announced by President Ram Chandra Poudel's spokesman Kiran Pokhrel. Street demonstrations starting Monday in Kathmandu over a social media ban turned violent, with protesters attacking government buildings a

Legals

Journalism code of ethics

© 2021 AKASH Broadcasting Inc.

MANAGED BY STRATWIT

useful links

Accessibility Plan

BC Children's Hospital