The Government of Alberta has announced funding to help ease the transition for Ukrainian refugees who resettle in communities such as Medicine Hat. (CHAT News File Photo)

By David Opinko/LethbridgeNewsNOW

Hotel rooms in Medicine Hat to be utilized for Ukrainian refugees

Mar 31, 2023 | 12:19 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Government of Alberta is providing additional funding to support refugees from Ukraine.

The province said it is allocating an additional $4.32 million to provide emergency accommodations for the next four months, supplementing support from Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada.

The funds will increase the number of hotel rooms available for Ukrainians when they arrive in Alberta and cover initial transportation costs.

Although it was not stated how many additional hotel rooms will be utilized in each community, the province states that more rooms will become available in Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer.

Minister of Trade, Immigration, and Multiculturalism Rajan Sawhney says the government looks to ensure Ukrainian evacuees have a safe place to stay when they first arrive in the province.

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“This new funding comes directly from consultations with community partners that flagged the need for increased supports for evacuees,” said Sawhney. “I will continue to advocate for more funding from the federal government to ensure Ukrainians have all the supports they need to settle in Alberta.”

Since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, more than 28,000 Ukrainians have resettled in Alberta.

Centre for Newcomers chief program officer Kelly Ernst said this funding will help a lot of families who have been displaced from their homes.

“We are elated that so many Ukrainian evacuees will be helped with this announcement. This support will go a long way to eliminate the gap that existed in immediate temporary accommodation,” said Ernst. “We know that it will help to mitigate unnecessary homelessness among the evacuees and help remove evacuees from shelters, the street, and from staying overnight in airports.”

As of the 2021 federal census, Statistics Canada reports that approximately 8.2 per cent of people living in Alberta were of Ukrainian descent.