Alberta Premier Danielle Smith
Marco Levytsky, NP-UN Western Bureau Chief.
Alberta Premier Daniel Smith says her government may look at creating a provisional immigration program for Ukrainian refugees and has asked Immigration Minister Muhammad Yaseen to look into the one Manitoba announced earlier this month.
On September 4, the Government of Manitoba held a separate selection under the Skilled Worker in Manitoba stream for Ukrainian nationals. This draw, which runs under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) was part of a broader selection round where Manitoba issued 3,347 Letters of Advice to Apply (LAAs) across various streams, including the International Education Stream and Skilled Worker Overseas pathway.
The purpose of this program is to provide a pathway to permanent residency for Ukrainian newcomers already in Manitoba or with strong ties to the province. Principal applicants must be citizens of Ukraine and meet the general criteria of the stream
“I think we're going to have to do something because you've had a large number of people who have been here for a long time,” Smith said during an online roundtable with multicultural media, September 12.
“The kids have learned English, they've gone to school, they've made friends. We still don't have a resolution of the conflict in Ukraine, so our people aren't comfortable going back. I'm getting a briefing on this next week by Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk, who has been our parliamentary secretary for Ukrainian and refugee settlement.
“We'll have to chart a path forward because I think most of those work permits come up again in March. The first step might be getting the federal government to extend the permits once again. The holistic problem that we have that I discussed with the previous question is that we have to have more control over being able to allow for permanent residency for those individuals who have a job, who want to stay, and want a pathway to permanent citizenship,” she said in response to a question from Yulianna Voloshyna, Producer and Radio Host of Ukrainian program at 101.7 World FM.
Due to the large volume of participants and time constraints, New Pathway – Ukrainian News representative Marco Levytsky and Ukrainian Echo correspondent Lidia Wasylyn did not get a chance to ask their question online but emailed them to Smith’s Press Secretary Sam Blackett.
Levytsky noted that aside from a Francophone representative, there are no representatives of European ethnocultural minorities on the Premier’s Council on Multiculturalism.
“Yet there are some large communities of European ethnocultural groups in Alberta. Ukrainians, Poles, Germans, Italians, Norwegians, just to mention a few. Will there be an opportunity to get more representation from these communities as vacancies come up?” he queried.
“As vacancies arise on the Premier’s Council on Multiculturalism, there will be opportunities to consider candidates from other communities, including Europeans. Every appointment must be balanced against the Council’s broader mandate to ensure Alberta has a body that reflects both the diversity and lived realities of Alberta's ethnocultural communities,” responded Blackett.
Noting that Alberta has a long history of resource development and outstanding expertise in the oil and gas area, Wasylyn asked:
”With a view to further developing this industry and diversification, has the Alberta government considered offering development assistance to Ukraine to help develop their natural resources as part of a reconstruction plan that is currently being formulated by our European friends? Several European countries have committed to providing reconstruction support and as an example, currently, the Netherlands have expanded cooperation in developing water infrastructure.”
Blackett responded:
“Alberta’s government remains committed to supporting Ukraine. Alberta has welcomed more than 65,000 Ukrainian evacuees seeking refuge, among the highest of any Canadian province. We’ve worked closely with the federal government, the business and Ukrainian Canadian community, and settlement organizations to help them settle and integrate into life in our province.
“While Alberta has not undertaken any specific activities to support oil and natural gas development in Ukraine, we regularly engage globally to explore ways to optimize the production and use of energy products, particularly oil and natural gas. Alberta has the expertise to assist Ukraine and is prepared to continue to have discussions on how best to lever it to benefit Ukraine and Alberta.
“Further, in December 2023, Alberta’s government renewed its MOU with the Lviv Regional Military (State) Administration. The MOU will be in effect for five years and it identifies many potential areas of collaboration including energy, agriculture, economic development, technology, and more. Partnership in Lviv’s energy sector could include the exploration and production of hydrocarbons, electricity, renewable energy, and emissions reduction.”
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