Ukrainian family rescued by Ont. woman settles in well to Canadian life
A Ukrainian family is settling well into Canadian life after arriving in Owen Sound at the end of June.
"If people hear I am from Ukraine, they say welcome to Canada," Alina Sirenko said. "I found it so helpful you just feel like you are home."
Sirenko fled Ukraine with her husband, their two children, her sister and her brother as the war closed in.
The family headed for Poland as they made their escape, leaving behind family along the way.
"We decided we had to leave the country because I could not sleep. I was going crazy; I was just thinking, I hope I wake up in the morning and see them alive," Sirenko said.
"I was sitting in the car thinking if we survive, I'll get my kids a dog, cat, fish, hamster, anything- just to make them happy, that's all you want."
Once they crossed the border, they were picked up by Franziska Peljak, a young German woman, and Susanne von Töerne, who made it their mission to bring Ukrainians to safety.
"It's, of course, hard, and sometimes it's mentally challenging, but all-in-all, it's so rewarding," von Töerne said.
In March, von Töerne, a German native and humanitarian surgeon who lives with her husband in Flesherton, Ont., made the trek to the Polish-Ukrainian border with Peljak, who lives in Germany.
In total, von Töerne and her husband have brought 35 Ukrainians to Canada, including the Sirenko family.
Sirenko and her sister have found employment at a local Swiss Chalet. She's also working part-time as a translator for Settlement Services.
von Töerne said another family is set to arrive later this week.
She and her husband have purchased a home in Owen Sound that will be ready at the end of September.
She says she is looking for volunteers to help with renovations, and anyone looking to make donations can do so through Grey County Cares or contact Lynn Silverton at lynn@bmts.com.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.