It’s been a year and a half since Oleksandra and her husband fled the Ukraine with their twin sons.
The family of four, who asked that their last name not be used, arrived in Canada on May 18, 2022 after leaving everything behind in their war-torn home country, with the hope of pursuing a better life.
The day after they landed in Canada, a volunteer organization connected the family with local business owners Brent and Tanya Finley who offered short-term accommodations at their residence in Nelson until they settled.
It only took a few months for the family to secure their own housing, which Oleksandra says wasn’t hard to achieve thanks to the community’s generosity.
“When we first arrived in Nelson, we were celebrities. An article about our family ended up in the newspaper. A nice lady read the article and she reached out to us and offered to rent us her house. It was so nice because we didn’t put any effort to find it, the house found us.”
A year and a half later, Oleksandra said her family has found a comfortable routine in the community. Both she and her husband were able to find employment and she says their eight-year-old sons have adjusted quickly to Canada’s culture.
“My children are doing great. I’m so proud of them. They know English better than me. Sometimes it’s hard for them to make friends, I’m not sure why, but they like to do jujitsu now, and they play guitar.”
Canada’s peaceful nature brought the family here, but Oleksandra says it was one of the hardest things to adjust to.
She explained how last summer during wildfire season, the sounds of air traffic and water bombers terrified her because in her home country, those sounds meant violence and war.
“When we first got here, it was hard adjusting but then we started feeling relief, because we shouldn’t be scared anymore. I was afraid of airplanes at first, but then I forgot about it. We were so exhausted, emotionally burnt out and felt powerless, and I still worry about our future. I want to stay here.”
Oleksandra and her family are in Canada on a three-year work permit, which technically expires in May 2025. However, she explained that if the war drags on, the federal government would automatically renew the permit for them.
Because their permit is temporary, Oleksandra says she feels nervous for her family’s future as they’re unable to set long-term goals.
“I’m worried. Our permit is only valid for another year and a half. It’s hard to plan anything. The truth is that we cannot go back to the Ukraine. It’s still not safe.
“Secondly, my kids have started to know English better than Ukrainian and it would be so hard to switch the school for them. We work hard to stay in Canada. I am learning English and will go through the process to try and stay.”
Of all of Canada’s attributes, Oleksandra says her favorite is the fresh air.
“I’m from a big city and the air quality was so poor and polluted and I enjoy the beauty of the nature in Canada, and the people are polite. I appreciate how small Nelson is. We wouldn’t have gotten so much support if we moved to a big city and I’m just so glad that we are in Nelson, where people are more united. I appreciate this community so much.”
