Lyonel Doherty, Times Chronicle
Oliver town council has approved a $2,500 grant-in-aid to help displaced Ukrainians relocate to Oliver.
At Monday’s meeting, council gave the thumbs up to the Ukraine Nightingale Project that is organizing two fundraisers to help pay for flights to bring Ukrainian families to Canada’s Wine Capital.
Councillor Terry Schafer said he met a couple of new residents, adding that one is working at Home Hardware in Osoyoos.
Chief Financial Officer Wayne Anderson said local volunteers are providing much needed support to Ukrainian families arriving in Oliver. He noted there are currently 10 unpaid volunteers who are helping families settle here, adding the fundraisers will put money towards helping these new families integrate into the community in all aspects including work, education and housing.
Anderson said the 2023 preliminary grant-in-aid budget is approximately $20,000. He told council that one third ($6,667) of this budget is earmarked for various groups and organizations that the town supports on a regular basis. These include Oliver Ambassadors ($2,000), Oliver Business Association ($1,000), and the Oliver Community Arts Council ($1,000). The remaining two thirds of this budget is held for contingency requests throughout the year.
In a delegation to council, Nightingale spokesperson Greg Thorp said many Ukrainian homes and towns have been destroyed by war, and much infrastructure has been lost, including schools.
“Many people at the border can’t go forward and can’t go backward.”
Thorp said many families struggle with English when they arrive in Canada, and many need help with banking, school registration and transportation to Kelowna for medical needs.
Thorp noted the program needs volunteers to help the six families settle here more comfortably.
Ukrainian host Shirley Zelinski said these people are very hard working and that’s all they want to do, noting some were lucky to make $2 per hour in Eastern Ukraine. She added that many Ukrainians are well educated with masters degrees, which take years to obtain.
Zelinski said the “one thing they want more than anything” is to still be in Canada when their visas expire. But she did note that none of the families can afford to go to the dentist here because it is so expensive.
