300 Ukrainian refugees will arrive in Manitoba next week, province says

Nearly 300 Ukrainian refugees are expected to arrive in Winnipeg next week on a charter flight from Poland, the Manitoba government announced on Tuesday.

One of three federally arranged charter flights from Ukraine to Canada is to land in Winnipeg sometime in the third week of May, the province said in a news release.

The people on it will be approved applicantsunderthe Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel program.

The new arrivalswill be taken toManitoba's Ukrainian Refugee Reception Centre near the Richardson International Airport, where staff will work to meet their immediate needs.

Volunteers will help greet families as they arrive and help translate.

The reception centre staff will meet with each family to determine their needs, provide temporary housing and meals, organize health-care services and offer orientation to Manitoba to help facilitate language training, long-term housing and work.

To date, the reception centre has seenmore than 340 people from Ukraine, 20 per cent of whom are children.

The province is prepared to welcome thousands of Ukrainian refugees with "open hearts and open arms," Premier Heather Stefanson said.

Anyone who wants to donategoods or supplies can do so through theUkrainian Canadian Congress Manitoba Provincial Council.