‘They’re in shock:’ Delegation returns to Sask. after meeting Ukrainian refugees

As the war continues in Ukraine, representatives of the Saskatchewan government are back after meeting with refugees.

Terry Dennis, the legislative secretary responsible for Saskatchewan-Ukraine relations, led a contingent that spent time in Germany meeting with people who have fled from Ukraine after Russia’s attack.

One of those was a woman named Natalia who had escaped from the war-torn country.

“She works at the Kyiv train station,” Dennis told reporters Thursday. “Her story of fleeing with her three kids and her husband and the continued work that she does in the Metro there and (her reports of) thousands of displaced people who sleep in there every night just to avoid bombings and the shootings (were) quite emotional.

“(It was amazing) for her to hop on a train from Slovakia and take a 12-hour trip just to meet with us and tell the story.”

Saskatchewan’s government has vowed to take in as many immigrants as it can from Ukraine, given there are many families in the province with Ukrainian heritage.

During the trip, Dennis also met with representatives of the German government to learn what that country had done to prepare for the refugees’ arrival.

The Saskatchewan group also talked with Canadian government officials to try to get the immigration process flowing more smoothly.

“We met with them and offered some help, whatever we could do to help speed up the process of getting Ukrainians out of that country and into Canada and possibly into Saskatchewan with all the connections we have with all the residents that we have here,” Dennis said.

Dennis added the province is offering to help the federal government when it comes to getting Ukrainians their visas.

“It’s taking a little longer than we would hope,” he said. “We’re just offering our help as the Saskatchewan government to see what we can do to help them out and even have people on the ground to help them speed up the process.”

Some refugees already have made their way to Saskatchewan to stay with family members who live in the province. Dennis said the government is lining up things like housing, schooling, daycare, lodging and food to help those who don’t have ties to people in Saskatchewan.

That group likely will need the most help.

“It was quite shocking to see them just kind of walking around; they’re in shock,” Dennis recalled. “A lot of them, I think, want to just find a place to live temporarily … Some of them are ready to come (permanently).

“I couldn’t really give you a number on that right now. We’re ready to welcome whatever we can get over here.”

— With files from 980 CJME’s Logan Stein