War in Ukraine reunites childhood friends in Thornton, Ont.
Denys Derzhavets and Andrey Sychev met many years ago as boys in school. Neither could have known that their childhood connection would turn into a lifeline many years later.
When the Russians invaded Ukraine, Sychev texted his longtime friend asking for help.
"I text him back that was has started, and Kyiv is under bombardment," Derzhavets recalled.
Derzhavets has been living in Canada for more than two decades, and without hesitation, the Thornton man said he offered his home to his friend.
"A program opened [called] Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel," Derzhavets said. "They were able to apply and move quickly to Canada."
The Federal government introduced the Canada-Ukraine emergency travel program to support the people of Ukraine, offering Ukrainians and their family members free, extended temporary status.
The program allows them to work, study and stay in Canada for up to three years.
Sychev, his wife, their three children and their dog packed what they could into a few suitcases and left their homeland, a move Sychev said is difficult to describe.
"Because when [the] war started, all my life was changed. In fact, you feel yourself like in some bad dream."
Needing some extra mattresses, Derzhavets posted on a community page and said his phone was immediately ringing off the hook.
"Everybody is messaging, 'What can we do? What can we bring?' And people started bringing lots of different things."
Sychev said the generosity of the community was overwhelming.
"Canada peoples, who never knew about us or anything, they just give us money, gift cards, and other [things]. It's really, very good."
While life may look much different for the Sychev family, they are starting to adjust.
The children enjoy taking the school bus, and Sychev's wife started working at a local Ukrainian bakery.
"I want again, to say my very, very grateful to all Canadian people and [the] Canadian government," he said.
Sychev said above all he can't thank his childhood friend enough for taking him and his family in during a difficult time.
"We say to them, you can stay as long as required," Derzhavets said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.