Thank you for the opportunity to speak to our work in Ukraine.
It was my privilege on Sunday at 2 p.m. at Pearson International to receive 28 Ukrainians on an aircraft we had coming back from Poland and that landed in Toronto. I got to spend the entire afternoon with them at the airport. They're now in Vegreville, Alberta, the home of the world's largest Easter egg—so they're in familiar territory—and wonderful people. We're anticipating receiving another 21 people tomorrow, on Friday.
We continue to be active. I know that there are many other organizations that are very active across Ukraine and the periphery, so our current activities, using the donor support that we have, are in the 17 projects that we are currently funding in Poland and a number of other European countries in supporting displaced and refugee Ukrainians who have made their way across Europe. We're very active with that.
Our particular interest here today is about direction and control and “own activities” and specific provisions that are in the budget implementation act. I trust that you've made yourself aware of—or we could make them available to you—the specific amendments that we are seeking. I've already spoken with MP Lawrence. We see it as very important for us to keep our charitable sector and the way we can function modernized and to update things. That's something we're seeking.
It's really great to hear you recognizing our work. We have a lot of Canadians—70 Canadians, I think—who have served in Ukraine in our emergency field hospital and in the work we're doing across the country. There's an awful lot going on, and Canada plays a big part across the entire charitable sector in Ukraine.
Thank you.