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
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.