Canada can offer comfort to Ukrainians with a path to permanent residency |
Pedestrians walk along darkened streets in Kyiv following Russian attacks on energy infrastructure that caused blackouts on Jan. 13.GENYA SAVILOV/AFP/Getty Images
John Weston is a government relations and communications expert, former member of Parliament, and president of Pan Pacific Solutions Ltd.
The recent news from Ukraine has deepened the sense of loathing many of us feel toward Vladimir Putin and his government. In the past few weeks, Russia’s bombardment of Kyiv has deliberately targeted civilian infrastructure, leaving at times roughly one-third of the city without power, in winter. These are calculated acts of cruelty to make life unbearable for ordinary Ukrainians.
Against that backdrop, Canadians heard that Prime Minister Mark Carney met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Halifax in late December, pledging a further $2.5-billion in economic aid. That commitment matters. But for shivering Kyiv residents, it was cold comfort. And for Ukrainians in Canada under temporary status, it may feel like cold comfort, too.
My family claims no Ukrainian background, but like many Canadians, we’ve sheltered many Ukrainians since the war began. Each of the six we hosted were industrious, resilient, grateful believers in Canada.
More than 304,000 Ukrainian nationals........