Our History

CHAR follows in the footsteps of Operation Ukrainian Safe Haven (OUSH), which came together as a partnership with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to coordinate Canada’s response for the more than 200,000 displaced Ukrainians who came to Canada from 2022-2024. In its 3 years of activity, OUSH raised over 2.6 million dollars in donations which went to the direct support of over 42,000 displaced Ukrainians and other newcomers in need.

The OUSH project was a national and coordinated initiative to bridge and link communications and resources with key stakeholders involved with supporting Ukrainians coming to Canada. A National Secretariat was established under OUSH, comprised of representatives from various federal departments, provincial and territorial governments, Provincial and Territorial Settlement and Integration Sector Hubs, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, the Canadian Red Cross, and other stakeholders to focus on the post-arrival planning phase for displaced Ukrainians coming to Canada. This included national communication objectives, including referrals for housing offers, donations, volunteers, jobs, and other key orientation resources and communications from the provinces and territories.