Olga Renneberg’s mom arrived in Canada this week with nothing however a backpack along with her necessities and the garments she was carrying.
"I advised to her to pack a very powerful issues — cash, essential paperwork and her requirements — as a result of a suitcase would sluggish her down," mentioned Renneberg, who lives outdoors Edmonton.
"You by no means know the place you could possibly find yourself. Will that you must run rapidly to get the bus or practice?"
Her mom, 57-year-old Liudmyla Volovyk, arrived in Edmonton late Monday after leaving her house within the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Friday.
Renneberg mentioned her mom took a practice from Kyiv to the western metropolis of Lviv, then glided by bus to the Polish border, travelling greater than 24 hours straight. A volunteer in Poland took her in for the evening.
Volovyk, who nonetheless has a legitimate visa to enter Canada, then flew to Zurich and Montreal earlier than touchdown in Edmonton to be reunited along with her daughter after greater than three years.
"A very powerful factor is she is right here proper now and I am relieved," Renneberg mentioned.
The 36-year-old mentioned seeing her nation ravaged by struggle has been devastating and she or he fears for buddies and relations nonetheless there. She mentioned she hopes NATO will declare a no-fly zone over Ukraine to restrict assaults from Russian warplanes.
"Individuals would not be fleeing in these numbers if our sky can be closed and if we all know we wouldn’t be hit randomly by jets," mentioned Renneberg, including her mom had spent every evening in Kyiv in a shelter because the struggle with Russia intensified final month.
Renneberg mentioned many individuals within the Ukrainian-Canadian neighborhood would welcome Ukrainians fleeing struggle into their houses, however it's a matter of them having the ability to attain Canada.
A Ukrainian meals firm in central Alberta has mentioned it can make use of and help some Ukrainian refugees.
Baba Jenny's Ukrainian Meals, based mostly in Mannville, has a aim of welcoming 15 Ukrainian refugees within the coming yr, mentioned Garry Pulyk, director of selling.
The family-run enterprise will make use of the refugees, home them and canopy any rental prices for the primary few years.
"They might assist our firm develop and on the similar time we can provide them a greater lifestyle," he mentioned.
In Toronto, 28-year-old Svitlana Nechyporenko and her husband are amongst many Ukrainian Canadians working to carry relations to Canada.
Nechyporenko mentioned her youthful sister and her sister's companion just lately escaped to Berlin and are ready for her mom, who's in Ukraine, to affix them. From there, they plan to go to Toronto to stick with Nechyporenko.
"My sister already has a visa from Canada, however her girlfriend simply utilized," Nechyporenko mentioned. "I'll assist (my mom) apply for her visa to enter Canada and stick with me till it is secure to fly again to Ukraine."
Nechyporenko mentioned her mom left her father in Kyiv and boarded a practice to Lviv earlier within the week.
"My mom is definitely recovering from surgical procedure she had two weeks in the past, and the practice was so packed. She ended up sitting on her suitcase, by the doorway into the practice, your entire approach to Lviv."
Their arrival in Canada is determined by how lengthy the visa utility will take.
"The minute they obtain (my mom's) passport with the visa sticker in it, we'll ebook their flight to Toronto," Nechyporenko mentioned.
Karolina Rabianska mentioned she is prepared to assist Ukrainian refugees in any doable method ought to a few of them arrive in Georgetown, Ont.
Rabianska, who was born in Poland and immigrated to Canada as a toddler along with her dad and mom, mentioned her household won't have room to host Ukrainians at their townhouse, however she is prepared to assist in any doable method.
The 26-year-old mentioned she has began a GoFundMe web page and raised about $500 to ship to her relations in Poland to host Ukrainian households at their houses.
She mentioned her relations run a ski chalet in southern Poland and a few Ukrainian households are anticipated to reach there quickly.
"It is simply essential to do not forget that although it is away, that it is essential to assist one another and that's simply common individuals which might be struggling the implications due to one man or one authorities's greed," she mentioned.
"In the present day is Ukraine, however it might be Poland subsequent, simply as simply."
This report by The Canadian Press was first revealed March 10, 2022.
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