A Ukrainian flag is pictured in front of Canadian flags in Ottawa on Friday, April 1, 2022. A free, new summer camp aims to help Ukrainian refugee children and their families settle in Montreal. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
MONTREAL – A free, new summer camp is aiming to help Ukrainian refugee children and their families settle in Montreal.
Sixty children are participating in the inaugural edition of the camp launched by the Quebec branch of the Ukrainian National Federation.
Branch president Taras Kulish says the goal of the program is to foster a sense of community among new arrivals and help them integrate in their new environment.
That goal extends to camp leaders, themselves refugees who fled the war launched by Russia in eastern Europe.
Kulish says the camp also serves to promote Ukrainian culture by emphasizing the use of the Ukrainian language among campers, many of whom are attending school in French.
The president hopes to secure enough funding to expand the program in the coming years, noting that it received more than 200 applications from interested local families this year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2023.
