05052022 May 5 2022

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS

Local News Weekly

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Vol. 26, Issue 34, May 5, 2022

OLP Candidate for Algoma-Manitoulin Tim Vine starts Campaign in North-West

T

im Vine, Ontario Liberal Party Candidate for Algoma-Manitoulin is starting of his campaign to become Algoma-Manitoulin's next MPP in the Northwest portion of the riding.

The campaign starts in Chapleau, where Tim will be canvassing voters and hosting a Meet and Greet to meet potential constituents. Tim arrived the afternoon of May 3rd and hit the ground running - heading out to knock on doors. Tim will be hosting a morning Meet and Greet with coffee and muffins on May 5th at the Chapleau Legion from 10am11:30am.

From there, Long Term Tim heads to Wawa to Forecast canvas and host Thursday High 15 Low 0 Friday High 15 Low 0 Saturday High 15 Low 1 Sunday High 19 Low 7 Monday High 19 Low 11 Tuesday High 22 Low 12

another Meet and Greet on May 6th at the Wawa Legion from 10am-11:30am. Tim will also host additional Meet and Greets on May 8th for Mother's Day, at the White River Legion from 10am-11:30am and at the Hornepayne Legion on May 10th from 10am11:30am.

Additional stops to canvas in Dubreuilville on May 7th and Manitouwadge on May 9th are planned, before Tim returns to his base of operations in Algoma Mills, where he will campaign along the North Shore, Manitoulin as well as in Espanola and Elliot Lake.

Tim stated, "I am excited to be visiting the Northwest at the start of the campaign, I have many fond memories of camping there as a child. And I'm looking forward to getting out and hearing the concerns of constituents everywhere in the riding. So far, I've been hearing so much about how much advocacy is needed in order to better represent the needs of this riding. Healthcare and housing are top of mind for voters I'm talking to and how we can make life more affordable. The OLP has a plan for these issues and I'm making sure we have tailored responsible policies with a Northern perspective."

Tim putting up a sign on a supporter's lawn in Chapleau, May 4th, 2022. (Photo: Crystal Bossio)

CANADA DAY 2022

The Township is happy to announce that we are once again in the planning stages of this year's Canada Day celebrations which will resume to in-person activities. Throughout this process, we invite businesses/groups to host activities/events during Canada Day. As in the past, your event will be promoted and advertised on the Canada Day schedule.

Call Charley Goheen if you are planning on hosting an event or interested in hosting an activity at the Waterfront.

MISSION MOTORS

of WAWA

61 Mission Road, Wawa, ON, P0S 1K0 Phone (705) 856-2394

Call Alain at Mission Motors

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, May 5, 2022- Page 2

Weather Summary for Ontario April 2022: Cold, Snowy and Wet Across the Northwest Temperatures and Precipitation For the fourth month in a row, northwestern Ontario has experienced below normal temperatures. Temperatures were as much as 5 degrees Celsius below normal in the Lake of the Woods area.

Record low temperatures were set in this region on a few occasions. On April 17, some daily record minimum temperatures include -19.2oC in Sioux Lookout, -17.7oC at Red Lake, and -13.8oC in Kenora. Daily records were broken again in Sioux Lookout and Red Lake on April 19 with minimum temperatures falling to 17.6oC and -15.5oC respectively.

Another cold snap arrived about one week later with more record minimum temperatures on April 25 including -10.7oC in Red Lake.

Elsewhere across the province, temperatures for the month were near to slightly below normal.

As is often seen this time of year, temperatures took a bit of a roller coaster ride with multiple periods of mild temperatures abruptly followed by cooler spells.

Concerning precipitation, northwestern Ontario was where all of the action was located. Portions of the northwest and far northern Ontario received more than three times the normal amount for the month of April. For some locations, the amount of precipitation received this April ranked in that location's top five. The high precipitation totals were a result of significant amounts of both snow and rain. Probably the most notable weather system occurred from April 22 to 24 when significant amounts of rain fell in the northwest with snow farther north. What was particularly notable from this event was that some places near the Minnesota border reported over

50mm of rain within a 12-hour period from late in the day April 22 to the morning hours of April 23, due to thunderstorm activity. For example, Thunder Bay reported 69 mm in just 12 hours, which would be rare even in summertime when thunderstorms are more common.

Elsewhere across the province, precipitation amounts were closer to normal, with portions of southwestern Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe receiving slightly below normal amounts.

Ice Conditions in the Great Lakes Ice coverage on the Great Lakes declined through the entire month of April. This is the typical trend that ice coverage follows for the month. This year however, the decline was at a slightly slower pace than normal. As a result of the slower than normal ice melt, the ice extent remained slightly above normal for the month. Ice coverage started the month at 10.9% across the lakes and dropped steadily to 1.4% by the end of April. Initially, ice lined the shores of Lake Superior, northern Lake Michigan, northern Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. Ice was also consolidated through the North Channel into Whitefish Bay and the northern bays in Lake Superior. At the end of April, ice remained in small concentrations in the North Channel and Whitefish Bay, while in northern Lake Superior; consolidated rotten ice continued to fill Black B a y, N i p i g o n B a y a n d northeastern Thunder Bay. Significant Events April 6-7: Wet in the East and Windy in Northern Ontario A low-pressure system made its way across the upper Great Lakes late April 6 into April 7, bringing wet conditions to eastern and northeastern parts of the province. Rainfall amounts across eastern Ontario were generally in the 20 to 40 mm range, with a maximum

amount of 44.7 mm reported at the Sault Ste Marie Airport. Areas farther north received snowfall amounts ranging between 10 and 15 cm. The system also brought strong wind gusts to northern Ontario, ranging from 70 to 90 km/h, with the highest gust of 98 km/h reported at Geraldton Airport.

April 14-16: Winter Storm in the Northwest and Gusty Winds in the South A Colorado Low brought winter storm conditions to northwestern Ontario April 14. Heavy snow and strong winds reduced visibilities through the regions significantly, resulting in poor driving conditions and many road closures.

Snowfall amounts generally ranged between 20 and 40 cm. The cold front associated with this system brought significant wind gusts to southern Ontario. Widespread wind gusts of 80 to 100 km/h occurred from April 15 to 16, with the highest gust of 109 km/h reported in Port Colborne. These severe wind gusts brought down several utility poles across southern Ontario, resulting in nearly 200,000 customers losing power.

April 22-24: Significant Rainfall across Northwestern Ontario Another Colorado Low brought significant precipitation to northern Ontario April 22 through 24.

Rainfall amounts were generally in the 20 to 40 mm range across a wide section of the northwest, with areas nearer the Minnesota border receiving higher amounts due to thunderstorm activity. Thunder Bay Airport reported the highest amount of 73.4 mm, resulting road closures due to local flooding. A state of emergency was declared in the towns of Fort Frances and Emo, as well as the the township of Conmee (west of Thunder Bay) due to flooding, road washouts and wastewater infrastructure failures.

Outlook for May Colder than normal temperatures will continue for the entire province, and this pattern is likely to continue to at least the middle of the month. Near normal precipitation is expected through the first half of the month.

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, May 5, 2022- Page 3

Chapleau Moments

Remembering Margaret 'Maggie' Costello a "fixture at all things Chapleau"

by

Michael J. Morris For more than 25 years, Margaret Costello, Maggie as she was fondly called, became a fixture at all things Chapleau, arriving in her Volkswagen Beetle with her camera, and reporting on them first for the Sudbury Star in her Chapleau Scene column and in news stories, then with the Sault Star where she reported the news from her adopted community.

Maggie was born in Pennsylvania, and after settling in Chapleau with her husband Bill, first worked at the Chapleau Clinic and for the Township of Chapleau, but she was a newspaper reporter, first and foremost.

She had been a reporter in the United States, and was also a professional actress, something Chapleau learned when she played a leading role in the Chapleau Little Theatre's 1969 production of Kay Hill's comedy 'Three to Get Married 'in 1969. IT was the first play I directed upon my arrival to teach at Chapleau High School I also had to play a role in the last minute when a cast member was suddenly Transferred.

Maggie was also active as a member of the board of the Chapleau Community Credit Union, the Chapleau Chamber of Commerce and Lady Minto Hospital Auxiliary.

'Six Chapleauites ride Highway 101 to Timmins -- for first time' from December 1961 was one of her columns.

She wrote they were looking at a map

On the way to Timmins from Chapleau

Margaret Costello spread out before them and "can hardly believe it happened -- but it did. Six went all the way to Timmins.”

On the expedition over the new highway with Maggie were Reeve D.J. 'Jim' Broomhead, Marcel Bourgeault, Roy May, Gilles Boisvert and F.B. 'Casey' Nowakowski, and she was most gracious in extending thanks to them for having asked her to accompany the delegation determined to see Highway 101 opened and available to all in 1961.

Commenting on being the first woman to travel over the new highway from Chapleau to Timmins, Maggie wrote, “We've never been one to shout from the housetops that we were first in anything - but we are, we are - and being the first woman that's something no one can take away from us -- we were the first woman to drive over Highway 101."

Just a note on Maggie's use of "we" when referring to herself. "We" can also refer to the group so it can be a bit confusing. Maggie came from the school of newspaper reporting and column writing where the use of "I" was not permitted. Even though I am (we are) a product of the same school of journalism, after all these years of more personal journalism, it took me a few moments to adapt to Maggie's style, although the use of "I" should still be avoided. The third person should be used, and enough already of a lesson from Journalism 101.

All these years later, the times have changed and I very seldom even glance at a daily newspaper.

Although Maggie was proud of the group's accomplishment, she wrote that "further keeping the ego in check the successful trip owed its success to the assistance of the department of highways equipment over the one and only bad part of about fifty feet some thirty miles between Chapleau and Foleyet.

She added that about noon they reached the stretch of swamp and muskeg that had not been completely filled in and the ground was soft and mushy and the "wheels of the vehicle sunk in but good.”

It was lunch time, she noted, but as soon as the highway crew returned, the two car caravan received all kinds of co-operation, and "after being set on more solid ground by

bulldozer operator Lloyd Eaton of Foleyet, we rolled merrily the rest of the way."

A short news story about the historic trip noted that "residents of Chapleau and Timmins joined hands over a new stretch of road in jubilation. Highway 101 was finally a reality."

The official opening ceremonies of the highway took place with a huge celebration in June 1962. I was part of the parade on a float from Smith and Chapple garage. I worked there when home for Waterloo Lutheran University now Wilfrid Laurier University., About 10 years earlier, a Chapleau delegation chartered a plane and flew to Timmins for highway discussions with the Porcupine Chamber of Commerce. The flight took 52

Working on the new highway minutes compared to a return trip of about 19 hours by train at that time. Accompanying Reeve B.W. 'Bubs' Zufelt were Arthur Grout, Albert Evans, Charles W. Collins, Gordon Bailey, and Wilf Simpson.

Margaret 'Maggie' Costello, who was predeceased by her husband Bill, who died in 1983. She had retired in 1977. A memorial service was held at St. John's Anglican Church.

My email is mikejmorris41@outlook.com.

I invite you to send along Chapleau High School memories.!!!

Highway 101 construction to Timmins

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, May 5, 2022- Page 4

There is still time to register for Kindergarten at CSC Nouvelon schools J u n i o r a n d S e n i o r K i n d e rg a r t e n registration in Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon schools is ongoing. Parents wishing to discover the school in their community as well as the preschool learning areas are invited to communicate with their French-language Catholic school. Children born in 2018 who will start school in September 2022 as well as children born in 2017 who are presently homeschooled will also be invited to take part in the Welcome to Kindergarten event (Fête à la maternelle) to take place in May and June in all CSC Nouvelon elementary schools.

Discover the many benefits of attending a French-language Catholic school! Conseil

scolaire catholique Nouvelon schools offer full special needs programs, a quality English language program starting in grade 4 to ensure sustainable bilingualism, a curriculum instilled with Catholic values, access to state-of-the-art technology, and an environment that nurtures and promotes a sense of Francophone culture and identity. Students in CSC Nouvelon schools also attain superior academic results and graduate with a high level of bilingualism along with a solid grasp of the French language.

The CSC Nouvelon welcomes children of Canadian citizens or immigrants whose first language learned and still understood is French as well as children of Canadian citizens whose

grandparents' first language was French. Children from immigrant families where the parents speak neither French nor English are also eligible.

For more information and a complete list of CSC Nouvelon's elementary schools, please visit www.nouvelon.ca/inscription .

The Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon offers a French-language Catholic Educational Program that is widely recognized for its excellence. The CSC Nouvelon provides a quality learning environment and academic program that runs from early childhood to adult education, with some 6,100 students enrolled in 27 elementary, 1 virtual school and 10 secondary schools.

Il est encore possible de s'inscrire à la maternelle dans les écoles du CSC Nouvelon L'inscription à la maternelle et au jardin d'enfant dans les écoles du Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon se poursuit. Les parents qui souhaitent découvrir l'école de leur communauté et visiter les espaces d'apprentissage préscolaires sont invités de communiquer avec leur école catholique de langue française. Les enfants nés en 2018 qui fréquenteront l'école en septembre 2022 ainsi que les enfants nés en 2017 qui poursuivent présentement leur enseignement à domicile auront la chance de participer à la Fête à la maternelle prévue en mai et juin dans l'ensemble des écoles élémentaires du CSC Nouvelon Venez découvrir les nombreux avantages d'une éducation catholique de langue française.

Les écoles du Conseil scolaire catholique

Nouvelon offrent des services complets d'éducation spécialisée, un programme d'anglais de qualité dès la 4e année, un curriculum imprégné de valeurs catholiques, des outils technologiques à la fine pointe, ainsi qu'une ambiance favorable à l'épanouissement langagier et culturel de l'élève. Les écoles du CSC Nouvelon se démarquent également par leur excellence académique : leurs diplômés affichent un haut taux de bilinguisme, tout en maîtrisant la langue française.

Le CSC Nouvelon accueille les enfants de citoyens canadiens ou d'immigrants dont la première langue apprise et encore comprise est le français ainsi que les enfants de citoyens canadiens dont les grands-parents avaient le français comme langue maternelle. Les enfants

issus de l'immigration dont les parents ne parlent ni français ni anglais sont aussi admissibles.

Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements, et pour une liste complète des écoles du CSC Nouvelon, veuillez visiter le site web www.nouvelon.ca/inscription .

Le Conseil scolaire catholique Nouvelon offre une éducation catholique de langue française reconnue pour son excellence. Avec près de 6 100 élèves répartis dans un réseau de 27 écoles élémentaires, une école virtuelle et 10 écoles secondaires, le CSC Nouvelon offre un milieu propice à l'apprentissage et un programme éducatif de qualité, de la petite enfance à l'âge adulte.

MOMENTS FROM THE PAST 1983 Carnival

Take advantage of our BOOST in online traffic!

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, people have increasingly turned to their local newspapers for reliable information. In just a few weeks, the number of readers of our digital version of the newspaper has increased by 55%.

WE ARE REACHING MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER BEFORE! If you want to benefit from this surge in web traffic, NOW’S THE TIME TO ADVERTISE.

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS Email us with your needs at

The Chapleau Public Library employees also took part in the Dress-up Contest. From left are Diane Collings, Marie Turner, Eugene Bouillon (Recreational Director) and Estelle Morin

chaexpress@sympatico.ca or call us at 705-864-2579 THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, May 5, 2022- Page 5

Health & legal experts call for reinstatement of masking protections as Omicron – one of the most infectious viruses known – tears through Ontario population Their expertise is unassailable, their message clear: in a virtual press conference this morning hosted by the Ontario Health Coalition, health and legal experts called on the Ontario government, the Chief Medical Officer of Health and local Medical Officers of Health and their Public Health Boards of Directors to do their duty under public health legislation, and take definitive action to restore masking protections to stop the devastating spread of COVID-19. The following are their key messages: Dr. Dick Zoutman: an Infectious Diseases specialist, and a Professor at Queen's University, who, during the 2003 pandemic of SARS, chaired the Ontario SARS Scientific Advisory Committee responsible for advising the Ontario government on the management of the SARS pandemic. He was a member of the Expert Panel on SARS and Infectious Diseases Control in Ontario. Dr. Zoutman is the former Chief of Staff for two large Ontario hospital networks, former founding Co-Chair of the Ontario Provincial Infectious Diseases Advisory Committee (PIDAC); and a past Physician-Director of the Board of the Infection Prevention and Control Canada (IPAC Canada), having served in that role for 12 years.

"During the last 2 years and 4 months of the COVID-19 pandemic much has been learned. Yet we are not applying what we have learned very well."

"We now know that COVID-19 is dominantly an airborne spread disease, meaning that the virus travels from person to person in the air we breathe. The current variants of Omicron are incredibly infectious, making

COVID-19 one the most infectious of viruses known."

"Since Ontario lifted its public health protections on March 21, 2022 we have seen: • Increased COVID-19 transmission with enormous impacts to students, teachers and school staff due to record high absenteeism • Continuous intense pressure on our hospitals and their beleaguered staff who are getting sick with COVID-19 in droves, making it very hard to provide the hospital services we all depend upon, causing increasing backlogs and waitlists for essential health services and surgeries • Worrisome increases in hospitalization of our elderly citizens and a huge number of children getting infected."

"The simple act of wearing a mask is a cheap and extremely effective way to protect everyone from COVID-19. Indeed, if we all wore well fitting masks while in in-door public places we could stop COVID-19 in its tracks."

Dr. David Fisman: Infectious Diseases specialist, Epidemiologist and Professor in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, Dr. Fisman is an expert in infectious diseases modeling and served on the Ontario COVID-19 Science Table. 15 Gervais Drive, Suite 201, Toronto, Ontario M3C 1Y8 Tel: 416-441-2502 Email: ohc@sympatico.ca Web: www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca "Masks are important for prevention of respiratory disease spread because they both filter infectious virus out of the exhaled breath of infected individuals and they reduce risk by filtering viruses out of inhaled air of a susceptible person (1, 2). Recent work by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) demonstrates a remarkable reduction in risk of 83% for people who wear well-fitting N95 and KN95 masks (3)."

"This 83% risk reduction figure is likely an underestimate because it doesn't account for the reduced risk when infectious individuals also wear masks. Masking in schools by both students and teachers also significantly reduces the incidence of COVID-19 in those students' families (4, 5)."

"Legislation in Ontario vests power in local, autonomous boards of health under the Health Protection and Promotion Act to protect the health and well-being of citizens. Boards of health have a duty to ensure the control of infectious disease and disease prevention. At present, none of our 34 boards of health in Ontario is acting to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and public health units and their boards have suggested this responsibility lies with the province of Ontario. This is not so." stated Dr. Jacob Shelley: "The Reopening Ontario Act granted the province new powers, but it did not take away any of the existing authority or responsibility that a public health board or medical officer of health has. The Health Promotion and Protection Act in Ontario grants decisionmaking authority to these boards and their medical officers."

"We believe in the absence of action by the Ontario Government or the Chief Medical Officer of Health that local public health boards and their medical officers of health have the capacity and duty to reinstate masking protection for their communities."

We are calling for: The Ontario Health Coalition is calling for the Government of Ontario, the Minister of Health, the Chief Medical Officer of Health or our 34 public Health Units and their Boards to reinstate mask protection across Ontario to crush the current and future surges of COVID-19 in the interests of the public's health and safety.

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, May 5, 2022- Page 6

Last weeks solutions MOMENTS IN TIME

On May 22, 1859, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, is born. His first Sherlock Holmes story, "A Study in Scarlet," was published in 1887. Doyle soon grew weary of his creation, killing off Holmes only to resuscitate him later due to popular demand.

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, May 5, 2022- Page 7

Northern Lights Ford Sales Andrew G. McKenzie Travis Gendron

Barristers and Solicitors

Highway 17 North P.O. Box 1033 Wawa, ON. P0S 1K0 Business 705-856-2775 Fax 705-856-4862 tgendron@northernlightsford.ca sales@northernlightsford.ca

705-864-4376

ALLEMANO, FITZGERALD PASCUZZI & BERLINGIERI

Vehicle Decals Safety Signage Posters

BERRY’S FREIGHT SERVICES TIMMINS - CHAPLEAU - TIMMINS Monday to Friday: 1 lb. to 10,000 lbs

MICHAEL C. ALLEMANO, B.A., L.L.B.

Monday to Friday

Certified by the Law Society as a Specialist in Real Estate Law P.O. Box 10, P.O. Box 1700, 369 Queen St. E. Suite 103 37 Broadway Avenue, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Wawa, Ontario P6A 1Z4 P0S 1K0 Phone (705) 942-0142 Phone (705) 856-4970 Fax (705) 942-7188 Fax (705) 856-2713

Certain messages need to be repeated several times

“Sit” “Sit” “Sit”

FOR QUALITY SERVICES AT

INEXPENSIVE PRICES GIVE US A CALL AT 1-705-264-4334 1-705-363-7804

Local MARKETPLACE ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (A.A).Open discussion meeting every Monday evening. Brunswick House First Nation Band office lounge 7pm. Narcotics Anonymous(N.A) every Tuesday same place same time.

NNADAP Worker @ 864-0174 info.

CHADWIC HOME, FAMILY RESOURCE CENTRE. Offers shelter, emotional support, and information for women and their children who are in crisis situations. We have a Toll Free Crisis Line which is staffed 24 hours a day. We can arrange for free transportation to the Centre for women who live in the Algoma/Chapleau area. We also offer support to women who live in the communities of Chapleau, White River, Dubreuilville, and Hornepayne through our Outreach Program. Our Outreach Worker travels to those communities to meet with women who need emotional support as well as information about their rights and options. If you need to speak with the Outreach Worker when she is in your community, you can call the Centre at any time to set up an appointment. You do not need to be a resident of the Centre in order to use our services. If you need someone to talk to or if you just need someone to listen, call our Toll Free Crisis line at 1800-461-2242 or you can drop in at the Centre. We are here for you.

jnsigns@gmail.com

“Sit” “Sit” “Good dog!”

Deadlines on Wednesdays CHAPLEAU EXPRESS at 3 p.m.

The more often a consumer sees your advertising message, the better your chances are that they will remember you when they’re ready to buy!

Call 705-864-2579

chaexpress@sympatico.ca

chaexpress@sympatico.ca

Dr. L. R. Simpson

SHOP LOCALLY

VETERINARIAN Will be at the Trinity United Church

TUESDAY May 17th, 2022 FOR APPOINTMENTS CALL Danielle Charron at 705-864-2235 lrs.vet@gmail.com

New at the Library Library Hours Monday 1-5 pm Tuesday & Wednesday 1-7 pm Thursday & Friday 1-5 pm Website : www.chapleau.ca Follow us on facebook for more info!

8mm & Super 8 mm FILM

SLIDES

PHOTOS

NEGATIVES

SCANNING

705-864-4376

CHAPLEAU EXPRESS, May 5, 2022- Page 8

REPORT from OTTAWA Rapport d’Ottawa by/par

Carol Hughes Federal member of Parliament Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing

It's been two months since Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Reports of the horror that is unfolding in many instances are justifiably being called war crimes, such as mass civilian graves found in Bucha, rape, and other forms of sexual violence being perpetrated. It is completely understandable that many Ukrainians are fleeing their home country in the face of Russian aggression that threatens their safety and security. As the home to the largest population of Ukrainians outside of Ukraine itself, many refugees are looking to Canada as a place to settle, but inaction from the Federal government and some questionable decision-making has made the opportunity to settle here harder than it needs to be.

Over 5 million Ukrainians have left the country since the Russian invasion began. The majority (3 million) have temporarily fled to Poland, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a massive diaspora by any account. But Poland is unable to absorb the massive influx of refugees on their own. Krakow, for example, has seen their population increase by 20% in the past two months alone.

According to Immigration, Refugees and

Ukrainians' Pathway to Canada Needs to be Easier Citizenship Canada (IRCC)'s own numbers, over 100,000 Ukrainians who have applied for Canadian visas are still awaiting approval, with only about 1/3rd (56,633 of 163,747 applicants) approved as of April 19th. For months, New Democrats have called on the government to remove those barriers that Ukrainian refugees are facing by eliminating the visa requirement so that Ukrainians who want to come to Canada can do so as quickly and easily as possible.

The challenges that Ukrainian refugees face extend well beyond visa requirements and relate to how they are actually classified. While the government acknowledges that the situation in Ukraine does amount to a humanitarian crisis, they have not classified Ukrainians leaving their nation as refugees, but rather as displaced Ukrainians. Therefore, most apply to come to Canada under the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel (CUAET) program, meaning they can come to Canada and obtain a work permit for up to three years as temporary residents.

This has a significant impact on the services available to them. For example, when they arrive, they must abide by any waiting periods that are in effect to receive medical services applicable to the province they are settled in, whereas refugee claimants are covered under a federal health program. While some provinces have waived the waiting period, it creates a system that will be both confusing for those arriving and will provide an inconsistent level of service that may provide health coverage to some Ukrainians settled in Canada, but not to others.

There are many other examples of services that will not be available to Ukrainians here in Canada.

Under the current program, they will only receive two weeks of temporary hotel accommodation and up to six weeks of income support, which is in stark contrast to services provided to refugees, which allows up to one year of income and housing support under the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP). The RAP program delivers this assistance only if a refugee requires income support and does not apply in instances of private sponsorship. Further, programs that will assist refugees settle, such as language programs, are limited.

Add to this the actual costs of flights. The government has started the Ukraine2Canada Travel Fund, which allows Canadians to donate frequent flyer miles to fund air travel for Ukrainians fleeing their homeland. Air Canada (which, to be clear, owns and operates the Aeroplan loyalty program) will donate 100,000 Aeroplan miles, but the government will not match donations. The government has stated that they will charter some flights, but there are still unnecessary hurdles that make it more complicated to actually get Ukrainians to Canada at a time when they need our support the most.

As it stands, Ukrainians fleeing war have an uphill battle to be able to actually reach Canada. To get here, they must apply for a visa through a complicated system that may feature significant language barriers.

Once here, they must rely almost entirely on local nonprofits to help build their new life away from war. It is evident that there needs to be an easier, a more streamlined pathway of information for those wishing to come to Canada, and for those Canadians who have opened their hearts to help Ukrainians.

La voie d'accès d'Ukraine-Canada doit être simplifiée Il y a deux mois, la Russie a envahi illégalement l'Ukraine. Le témoignage des nombreuses horreurs commises sont qualifiées à juste titre de crimes de guerre, notamment les fosses communes de civils découvertes à Bucha, les viols et d'autres formes de violences sexuelles perpétrées par les Russes. Face à cette agression qui menace leur personne et leur sécurité, de nombreux Ukrainiens ont choisi de fuir leur pays, une décision qui est tout à fait compréhensible. Comme le Canada abrite la plus grande population d'Ukrainiens à l'extérieur de l'Ukraine, de nombreux réfugiés se sont tournés vers le Canada pour s'y installer, mais l'inaction et certaines décisions discutables du gouvernement fédéral ont compliqué la possibilité de s'installer ici plus qu'il n'en faut.

Plus de cinq millions d'Ukrainiens ont quitté leur pays depuis le début de l'invasion russe. Selon le HautCommissaire des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés, la majorité de ceux-ci (trois millions), une diaspora massive à tous égards, ont temporairement trouvé un refuge en Pologne, ce pays peinant à absorber seul cet afflux massif de réfugiés. Cracovie, par exemple, a vu sa population augmenter de 20 % rien qu'au cours des deux derniers mois.

Selon les chiffres propres à Immigration, Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada (IRCC), plus de 100 000 Ukrainiens ayant demandé un visa pour venir au Canada sont toujours en attente d'une approbation, seulement un tiers environ (56 633 sur 163 747 demandeurs) ayant été approuvés en date du 19 avril. Depuis des mois, les néodémocrates demandent au gouvernement d'aplanir les obstacles auxquels font face les réfugiés ukrainiens, en supprimant l'obligation de visa, afin que les Ukrainiens

qui veulent se rendre au Canada puissent le faire aussi rapidement et facilement que possible.

Les difficultés auxquelles se butent les réfugiés ukrainiens vont bien au-delà de l'obligation de visa et portent aussi sur la manière dont ceux-ci sont effectivement classés. Bien que le gouvernement reconnaisse que la situation en Ukraine soit une crise humanitaire, il n'a pas classé les Ukrainiens qui quittent leur pays comme des réfugiés, mais plutôt comme des personnes déplacées. En conséquence, la plupart d'entre eux demandent à venir au Canada dans le cadre de l'Autorisation de voyage d'urgence Canada-Ukraine (AVUCU), ce qui signifie qu'ils peuvent se rendre au Canada et obtenir un permis de travail pour un maximum de trois ans en tant que résidents temporaires.

Ce processus pèse lourdement sur les services auxquels ils ont accès. Par exemple, à leur arrivée, les Ukrainiens doivent satisfaire aux périodes d'attente imposées par la province dans laquelle ils s'installent pour pouvoir profiter des services médicaux, alors que les demandeurs d'asile sont d'emblée couverts par un programme d'assurance-maladie fédéral. Bien que certaines provinces aient éliminé la période d'attente, cette situation crée un système qui à la fois prête à confusion pour les personnes qui arrivent et crée un niveau de service incohérent qui pourrait procurer une protection médicale à certains Ukrainiens qui s'établissent au Canada, mais pas à d'autres.

Il y a de nombreux autres exemples de services qui ne seront pas disponibles aux Ukrainiens ici au Canada. Dans le cadre du programme actuel, ils ne recevront que deux semaines d'hébergement temporaire à l'hôtel et jusqu'à six semaines d'aide financière, ce qui

contraste fortement avec les services offerts aux réfugiés, qui ont droit à une aide financière pendant une période allant jusqu'à un an et à une aide au logement dans le cadre du Programme d'aide à la réinstallation (PAR). Le PAR ne prévoit cette aide que si le réfugié a besoin d'une aide financière et ne s'applique pas en cas de parrainage privé. De plus, les programmes visant à aider les réfugiés à s'établir, comme les programmes linguistiques, sont limités.

Il ne faut pas oublier non plus les coûts réels des vols. Le gouvernement a lancé le Fonds de voyage Ukraine-Canada, qui permet aux Canadiens de faire don de leurs milles de grand voyageur pour financer les voyages des Ukrainiens qui fuient leur pays. Air Canada (qui, il est entendu, est propriétaire et exploitant du programme de fidélisation Aéroplan) fera don de 100 000 milles Aéroplan, mais le gouvernement n'égalera pas les dons. Ce dernier a déclaré vouloir affréter certains vols, mais des obstacles inutiles continuent de compliquer l'acheminement des Ukrainiens vers le Canada à un moment où ils ont le plus besoin de notre soutien. À l'heure actuelle, les Ukrainiens fuyant la guerre doivent livrer une bataille difficile pour venir au Canada. En effet, ils doivent demander un visa en passant par un système compliqué qui peut leur poser d'importantes barrières linguistiques. Une fois arrivés ici, ils doivent compter presque entièrement sur les organismes sans but lucratif locaux pour les aider à bâtir une nouvelle vie loin de la guerre. Il est évident qu'il doit y avoir un moyen d'accès à l'information plus simple et plus rationalisé pour ceux et celles qui souhaitent venir au Canada, et pour les Canadiens et Canadiennes qui ont ouvert leur cœur pour aider les Ukrainiens.