Two women who fled war in Ukraine find safety with Ottawa family
Katie Kolomiiets and her two children arrived in Canada early Wednesday morning at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport.
Her brother Andrei Plugatyr drove her home to Ottawa to stay with him and his wife Anna.
"I am happy, finally, it was a long way; we left our home on March 5," Kolomiiets says. "It was a long way and quite difficult because we had to stay different places, lots of kind people sheltered us, we are very grateful for their help. Finally, we are here- we are very happy!"
Kolomiiets describes the journey from her hometown of Poltava, about 150 kilometres west of Kharkiv.
"We drove three days to get to western Ukraine, and we stayed in western Ukraine for two weeks, and then we went to Poland, and we stayed in Warsaw for about two weeks to get visas, and then by plane here."
The journey made that much more difficult because her husband stayed behind.
"He is in the army now; he protects our country, so he stayed there."
She says she worries for him, "but I am still proud of him."
Kolomiiets says it is hard to see images of the fighting that continues in Ukraine.
"I cry all the time, I can’t watch the news, just cry, and cry, and cry."
The women and their children did not claim refugee status to come to Canada. They are here with a temporary visa – under a new emergency immigration program with the federal government.
Ukrainian-Canadian Anna Plugatyr says it took weeks to get all the paperwork ready and getting family from Ukraine to Canada is not easy.
"It is a big relief to have them here, to know that they are safe that they can relax and sleep through the night without worrying they will have run somewhere and hide," Plugatyr said.
Plugatyr says welcoming her family to her home is hard to put into words.
"For me the moment was incredibly emotional, we just hugged all together, held each other together, there are no words to describe how you feel in this moment."
Inna Savska is Anna Plugatyr’s cousin and has been in Canada for two weeks. She fled Kharkiv.
"I am okay now, but when we were in Ukraine, for six days we were sitting in cellar under Russian bombs. It was then that we decided to leave because it was terrible, it was very scary," Savksa says.
"I can’t explain how scary it was."
Savska and her two children drove for four days to western Ukraine before staying in various cities until they decided to go to Poland and attempt to get visas to come for Canada.
"My husband stayed in Ukraine, he is not in the army, but he is volunteering with helping with humanitarian aid," Saska says.
“It was heartbreaking. To watch kids say goodbye to their father is heartbreaking,” she says.
Both women say the support from the community in Ottawa has been overwhelming and they are grateful.
Savska says, "I am crying from people support and I am crying because of terrible situation in Ukraine, I see my city Kharkiv bombed every day, my friends are in Kharkiv and I worry about them it is very difficult."
The women will stay with the Plugatyrs for now but want to find their own residences as well as get jobs. They also hope to enroll their children in school.
They hope to one day return to Ukraine.
"We want to go back; we want to go home, we will rebuild our city and walk or favourite walks again. There is hope."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.