Louisa Boleyn cannot stop smiling, as she speaks of the moment she stepped foot into Quebec just a few weeks ago.
“Stepping on Canadian soil was just like finally, everything is over,” she said.
The 22-year-old left her family and fled from her hometown, a suburb outside of Kyiv, and was welcomed by a host family in Montreal.
“When the war broke, I wanted to do something,” said Marie-Anne Pasieka. “I honestly didn’t think I would have someone welcomed in my home, but when I met Louisa, it felt like the right thing to do.
“We completed connected on day one, which was April 2, and on April 8, she was already in our home.”
In the two weeks that she’s been here, Boleyn said she’s already applied for her health insurance card (RAMQ card) , received a social insurance number and opened up a bank account.
Having arrived with just a backpack, a nearby church has helped with some items, and through a Canadian program, she’ll be doing a two-month internship on Parliament Hill this spring.
“Everyone is so welcoming and sweet and supportive,” said Boleyn. “It’s amazing.”
Boleyn is one of hundreds of people who have arrived in the province since the war in Ukraine began.
A special kiosk set up at Trudeau airport has been one way of welcoming new arrivals.
Quebec’s immigration minister said the kiosk is a way to help make people feel safe.
Ukrainians arriving at Trudeau airport will be able to follow a trail of sunflower stickers on the floor that will direct them to a kiosk.
There, they’re greeted by staff from Quebec’s immigration ministry and employees from a centre that assists immigrants, where they’ll be helped with instructions on how to get their health insurance card, a work permit and housing if needed.
“We will accompany them to make sure that they will have all the resources they need,” said Boulet. “We will provide them with integration services, employment services, psychological services, if need be.”
As of today, the ministry says they have had over 1,000 RAMQ health card requests from newly-arrived Ukrainian refugees.
The minister says the kiosk has served over 400 refugees and expects to help many more in the weeks to come.