Fourteen Ukrainian newcomers in Arborg celebrated last week after they graduated from a first-level English language course that will help them better adjust to their new home.
Area resident Cindy Genik was instrumental in facilitating the English language program for people who fled Ukraine after Russia invaded and settled in various parts of Manitoba.
Genik has been advocating and supporting Ukrainian newcomers since Russia invaded the country in 2022, she said. She made “many calls” and went to “many meetings,” asking for support for English language classes so that the Ukrainians could find jobs and make connections in the community.
“The one very important thing missing was a beginner English class,” said Genik.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress and two “wonderful” women – Susan Zuk and Olena Gordiyenko – were among the supporters who got the English classes going in the Arborg area, said Genik.
“[English classes] will change their lives a lot. It will help them get jobs and be part of the community,” said Genik. “I wish all my new Ukrainian friends all the best and success in their new future. It’s not easy learning a new language, especially in a short time.”
Russia invaded Crimea in southern Ukraine in 2014 then launched a full-scale land, sea and air invasion of the country on Feb. 24, 2022. The invasion has resulted in over 6.7 million Ukrainians fleeing the country and settling in various European countries and other countries such as Canada, according to October 2024 statistics from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Russia continues to bomb Ukraine, targeting not only military infrastructure but also utilities such as power and water plants and civilian structures such as apartments, schools and hospitals. Russia has killed an estimated 13,883 Ukrainian civilians and injured 35,548 civilians between Feb. 24, 2022 and July 31, 2025, but the real numbers could be higher, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
In addition to the support from Genik and the Arborg Christian Fellowship church (which supplied the venue), the Ukrainian Canadian Congress’ Manitoba Provincial Council (UCC-MPC), the Canada-Ukraine Foundation, the Manitoba government and Vancouver-based Canadian College of English Language, which developed an English language curriculum called SMRT English, helped bring the classes to newcomers.
Susan Zuk, ESL for Ukrainian Newcomers Coordinator from UCC-MPC said she and visiting scholar Olena Gordiyenko from Zaporizhzhia started the English language program through UCC-MPC after securing support from the above organizations and the provincial government. Support also came from other organizations, foundations, service clubs, churches and schools.
“We have a total of 17 locations and 37 classrooms with over 700 people we’re teaching across the province right now,” said Zuk, who has family ties to the Arborg and Poplarfield areas. “This has been a grassroots project. Education service providers were overwhelmed by the number of newcomers coming into the province, and we saw there was a gap and decided to help.”
In addition to classes in Arborg, UCC-MPC offers English courses in communities such as Gimli, Dauphin, Russell, Winnipeg and Winkler.
The classes cover vital aspects of learning English, from reading, writing, listening and speaking, said Zuk. Students attend two-hour in-person classes three days a week.
“We’re trying to have a continuation of learning so that they don’t forget from week-to-week what they have learnt,” said Zuk. “This has helped them acquire better English skills and [enables them] to improve their lives economically and be more comfortable in Canadian society.”
A newcomers’ level of English is assessed when they enroll for the classes and they get placed in the appropriate level for them. And just like in school and university, they get homework and have to take tests.
“They have assignments, quizzes and exams so that they can see how well they’re doing and so the instructors can help them along. We have a certain mark that they have to reach in order for them to graduate to the next level,” said Zuk. “All 14 students in the Arborg class graduated to the next level.”
Zuk said she and Gordiyenko appreciated the help they got from people on the ground in Arborg, including obtaining an instructor and getting a training facility. And she and Gordiyenko “could have never done this” without the support of SMRT’s curriculum.
“SMRT has been so gracious,” said Zuk. “We’re so blessed to have been able to find [other] partners and supporters.”
The Canada-Ukraine Foundation and the Manitoba government provided funding the English language courses (five levels).
“One of the big reasons they’re supporting us is that IRCC [Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada] stopped funding English classes [in March] for the Ukrainian CUAET [Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel] visa holders,” said Zuk. “So the province and the foundation stepped up to provide us with funding.”
Over 30,000 Ukrainian newcomers have come to Manitoba since February 2022, she said. And people are still trickling in but they don’t get the same level of service support as people had under the CUAET program.
“It takes a long time to learn English and I think it wasn’t understood how much of a need for English language training there would be with so many immigrants coming from Ukraine and other countries,” said Zuk. “It overwhelmed the system with so many people coming here without the command of the English language.”
Zuk said Genik was instrumental in obtaining training space from the Arborg Christian Fellowship church, which receives a stipend from the program.
UCC-MPC is currently running two English language courses in Gimli.
Melanie Specula, who owns the Gimli Chicken Chef restaurant, coordinated the classes for newcomers to the Gimli area. She said the two courses (different levels of English) started in September and will run until May 2026.
The classes are being run at the Gimli Training Centre – owned by the RM of Gimli – which is letting UCC-MPC use the facility free of charge.
