The Parkland Ukrainian Family Fund has now brought eleven families to The Parkland, with another expected sometime soon. I sat down with three of the women who came here as a part of the fund, and they shared some of their experiences.
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Nataliia came to Canada with her two-year-old daughter, but before they arrived here, they had to overcome some very difficult barriers. They drove to Poland with her parents but they had to wait at the border for six days before being able to enter the country.
"It was a tough time, there were a lot of cars, there wasn't much fuel, and it was winter. Once we crossed the border in Poland it was fine there, people were very welcoming, like here."
They spent three months in Poland and weren't sure what the next step would be. Nataliia connected to the Family Fund through Facebook and made the decision to come here with her daughter, while her Parents returned to Ukraine.
Nataliia was already able to find a job here and said she feels right at home.
"I didn't expect to see what I see here, the support. People make us feel at home. I miss my home very much but here, I forgot for some periods of time, and I appreciate everything that people are doing for us."
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Sofiia talked about what life was like before they were forced to leave.
"It was horrible because the whole time was war, [there were] flights maybe every three hours, and bombs every time, non-stop."
Sofiia said Russian soldiers showed up at their door and told her family they had five minutes to leave their home. They were forced to go to Russia with nothing and had to find money so they could get to Poland where they were able to stay for a few months before they came to Canada.
"Canada is very peaceful, very helpful, it's a very beautiful place. People in Canada are amazing, they're really kind, very lovely people."
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When Yana came to The Parkland she had absolutely no idea what to expect, and Father Brent Kuzyk from St. George's Ukrainian Orthodox Church translated what she was saying.
"She had in mind, as she came to Canada that the situation here was going to be like a hostel, so it would be one building and several people living in that room. It was a shock to her that indeed she had her own apartment and her own space."
Yana spoke about how amazing everyone in the community has been. She said when she first walked into her apartment, everything she needed was there. She said that people are contacting her daily, she wasn't just dropped off and left alone.
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A number of people who came to The Parkland as a part of the Family Fund have already found jobs, however, the fund is still helping the others look for work. If there are any jobs available in the Dauphin area, you can reach out to 100th Meridian Immigration at 204-648-7366.
