Moose Jaw to welcome two new Ukrainian families this week

Moose Jaw will be welcoming two new Ukrainian families this week.

One of the families was scheduled to touch down at the Regina International Airport Monday night.

Local volunteer Christy Schweiger says word has been getting around on what a great place Moose Jaw is to live.

"It's a mom and dad and two little children. They have friends in Moose Jaw already, so we're starting to see a trickle-down effect with people knowing other people from Ukraine, and inquiring about our community."

The new family will have a host family look after them for a few days to help get them climatized to living in Moose Jaw. They'll be moving into a non-furnished house. A family in Moose Jaw has sponsored them and will be looking after most of their needs.

"Sometimes we don't know until they actually move into their place and they get past the climatization and figure out what their needs are," continued Schweiger. "They do have a son that will be going to school in Moose Jaw. The next thing will be to look for jobs for the father and the mother."

She says finding employment hasn't been an issue for the Ukrainian refugees coming to Moose Jaw.

"There is one construction company that is starting, kind of like a Ukrainian line of workers...They have been so helpful in helping settle Ukrainians, even with very limited English. What there is going to be a need for in our community, is people to be able to interpret."

The second family, which includes a husband, wife and a three-year-old boy, is scheduled to arrive from Kyiv on Tuesday.

"I was communicating with somebody online. They were looking at coming to Canada. They had no idea where they wanted to come and no connections and they chose Moose Jaw," explained Schweiger. "It was a lot of communication over the last three weeks and the father has already secured employment and the employer has been really good at helping them get everything lined up when they arrive here. I don't know what their needs will be until they actually get here. The home that they're moving into, there's some things there but we're not sure until things get settled and that becomes a crazy time for us volunteers who are organizing these kinds of things because there's so much gratitude in the community for people helping and wanting to help and donating things. My suggestion to people is just to keep in touch on the Facebook page and see what's posted about the families, what they need."

The Ukraine help and exchange in Moose Jaw Facebook page has over 600 members.

Schweiger notes there are now over 100 Ukrainian people in the community and the one thing that is required, as that number grows, is space for everyone to gather. Transportation has also been a challenge for some because many haven't obtained a driver's license yet.

Volunteers and sponsors will also be required for an outing being discussed for Wakamow Valley this summer.

Gatherings that were held over the winter include a Christmas party and a couple of Moose Jaw Warriors games, the latest being last Saturday, which about 33 Ukrainian newcomers attended.

The two families arriving in Moose Jaw this week were not part of the humanitarian flight of refugees that arrived in Regina on Monday but had selected Moose Jaw specifically as their destination of choice. It's not yet known where the passengers on the humanitarian flight will settle.