Ukrainians find work in Collingwood through rural employment program
After leaving the destruction left by the war in Ukraine, four refugees have been able to find employment and shelter in Simcoe County.
Katya Lavrynenko and her husband Mykola Maslov came to Canada with her brother, Slava Lavrynenko and cousin Vasyl Medvid on May 10, settling with a family in Severn.
Through the Newcomer Centre of Peel, a non-profit in Mississauga, they secured jobs in property maintenance in Collingwood.
"There's been good people here, friendly. All of Canada have been very good people and friendly," said Katya Lavrynenko. "This is what we did back home, so it's been easy to adjust."
But the four haven't forgotten what life they left behind.
"It was a simple place where we could spend our time, maybe go to a bar," Lavrynenko added. "But all cities were, was destroyed."
They left family, friends and pets to escape to Canada and hope to send some money back home to help.
Through their employer, Property Valet, they've also been supplied housing in the Blue Mountains.
"We had a property available and felt it was the right thing to do," said Sean Landreth, president. "They were also doing this type of work back home, so to be able to transition them here and then be doing what they've known to do is great for them. They feel comfortable with it."
Their story is similar to over 100 Ukrainians that the Newcomer Centre of Peel has helped through its rural employment program.
The goal is to help refugees settle in rural communities with gainful employment while simultaneously filling workforce gaps in those same places.
"To be honest, work hasn't been a challenge for them to come across, but housing definitely is," said Neil Harris, Newcomer Centre of Peel. "Housing doesn't happen overnight, but there are a lot of great volunteers willing to take displaced Ukrainians in."
Meanwhile, while Lavrynenko and her family intend to stay here for their three-year work permit, they are already thinking about their long-term goal.
"We don't want to stay," Labrynenko added. "We want to earn money to be able to restore our country to what it once was."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies recovered in Mexico likely 2 Australians, 1 American who went missing: officials
Three bodies recovered in an area of Baja California are likely to be those of the two Australians and an American who went missing last weekend during a camping and surfing trip, the state prosecutor’s office said Saturday.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
London Drugs begins 'gradual reopening' on 7th day after cyberattack
Almost a week after all London Drugs stores across Western Canada abruptly closed amid a cyberattack, they began a "gradual reopening" on Saturday.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.