Ukrainian families seeking refuge in Canada reflect on horrors of war on Remembrance Day
War has torn Anna Bushuivea apart from her husband Oleh, who's back in Ukraine working as a barber — unable to leave the country because he's a healthy middle-aged man — while she seeks safety in Canada.
She calls him every day, and when he doesn’t answer the phone, it leaves her scared that he's been killed by a Russian attack.
“I get worried. It’s stressful,” she said.
Another harsh reality of being separated from her husband is that she relies on a phone app to tell her if bomb sirens are sounding back in her hometown at night.
“And then I know that should call my husband and wake him up,” Bushuivea says.
The 29-year-old is even more worried for her dad, who enlisted in the Ukrainian army at the age of 50.
“He told me, ‘What should I tell my sons when they will ask me what were you doing during the war.'"
Her father is fighting on the hot spot of the front lines, relying on a minivan to get around with fellow soldiers because the Ukrainian army can't afford more, so Bushuivea is fundraising to help buy him a 4x4 vehicle.
“I can’t sit tight and do nothing,” she says.
It’s a sentiment shared by Brian Holowaychuk, who owns the East Sooke property that Bushuivea and 31 other Ukrainian refugees are living at for free. He’s helping with her fundraiser.
“Our country is made up of people from all over the world and I think we understand that we can all get along, and I think that’s what makes it all the more appalling,” says Holowaychuk.
The horrors of this latest war hit home especially hard on Remembrance Day for Alla Pavlikhin, a Ukrainian who's lived in Langford for decades but who's brother is fighting for the Ukrainian army.
Her best friend, Serhey, was killed earlier this year and she worries — more than 8 months into the Russian invasion — the war has become old news, despite the ongoing trauma.
“Considering that people in Ukraine – innocent people – are dying and putting their lives on the line, fighting for freedom,” she says.
Freedom – and safety – that have drawn so many Ukrainians to Canada’s shores, and which seem so far away for so many loved-ones left behind.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'
$3.8M home in B.C.'s Okanagan has steel shell for extra wildfire protection
A home in B.C.'s Okanagan that features a weathering steel shell designed to provide some protection against wildfires has been listed for sale at $3.8 million.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Mystery surrounds giant custom Canucks jerseys worn by Lions Gate Bridge statues
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
Celebrity designer sentenced to 18 months in prison for smuggling crocodile handbags
A leading fashion designer whose accessories were used by celebrities from Britney Spears to the cast of the 'Sex and the City' TV series was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in Miami federal court on charges of smuggling crocodile handbags from her native Colombia.
Wildfire leads to evacuation order issued for northeast Alberta community
An evacuation order was issued on Monday afternoon for homes in the area of Cold Lake First Nation.