Photo from City of Saint John Growth Committee presentation.

As Russia’s war on Ukraine carries on, Canada continues to welcome citizens fleeing the country.

In Saint John, the port city has welcomed around 70 families, or roughly 200 people, so far.

Valentin Boinitski, project manager for Saint John Local Immigration Partnership provided, an update to the city’s growth committee this week.

Boinitski mentioned Saint John can expect more Ukrainian Families to come under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel program.

“There are many more to come, a lot of the people are still waiting because there are current travel restrictions for men of fighting age, so a lot of the families are waiting for those restrictions to be lifted, so they may come later,” said Boinitski.

Boinitski added some of the key priorities when families arrive include accommodations and employment.

“The majority of people arriving here have a high education, as in bachelors, or masters degree, and the barriers that keep those smart, well educated, and hard-working people from getting jobs are usually the language barrier because not a lot of them speak English,” he said.

Other things on the minds of Ukrainians arriving include childcare, transportation, and long-term prospects.