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
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
RateMDs violates privacy of health professionals, class-action lawsuit claims
A lawsuit against RateMDs has been given the go-ahead by a B.C. Supreme Court judge who found the claim that the website violates the privacy rights of medical professionals is not 'bound to fail.'
Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Court to hear about search for remains as Winnipeg murder trial enters second day
A courtroom in Winnipeg is expected to hear testimony today about the search for the remains of the four victims of Jeremy Skibicki.