As Ukraine marks a year of war, refugees in Thunder Bay find support and a place to call home

For Walter Warywoda, the term "anniversary" didn't feel right to capture his feelings leading up to Friday, which marked a year since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine. 

It seemed too light; an anniversary is usually something to be celebrated on a happy occasion, he said. 

"The degree of destruction and lives lost is just, it's unimaginable. We've never seen anything like this since the Second World War," he said. 

As president of Thunder Bay's League of Ukrainian Canadians, Warywoda has been busy organizing events, referring newcomers to resources, and collaborating with groups like the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association to help Ukrainians settle in the city since Russia's invasion on Feb. 24, 2022.

The office of the United Nations high commissioner for human rights reports more than 21,000 civilians have so far been killed or injured during the conflict, although the actual number of casualties is believed to be much higher. War crimes have allegedly been committed.

This time last year, Warywoda was anticipating the arrival of his wife's grandniece and her family from Ukraine. They stayed with the couple for several months and are now employed and living on their own. Their parents are expected to arrive in Thunder Bay next month.

Though Warywoda said it's been heartwarming to see people come together — offering their homes, belongings, and time to Ukrainians fleeing the chaos — he hopes it isn't needed for much longer.

Connecting newcomers with jobs

Anita Muggeridge is the employment connector at the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association. She helps newcomers and refugees seek employment by assessing their skills and English language proficiency.

At least 40 Ukrainian families are in the Multicultural Association's database, but she suspects the actual number of Ukrainians in Thunder Bay is much higher. Many newcomers already had connections in the city upon their arrival, which meant they didn't reach out for assistance. 

The Multicultural Association braced itself for a large influx of Ukrainians when the war erupted, but the arrivals were staggered. Staff did, however, receive an outpouring of calls from residents asking how they could help. 

Much of the initial work was helping people apply for the one-time government assistance payment through the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel pathway, which offered $3,000 per adult and $1,500 per child. Next, it was referring them to medical and counselling services, helping them find housing and enrolling children in school.

For professionals who could speak English, Muggeridge helped them get their credentials assessed, while others were directed to entry-level positions. Partnerships were developed with businesses including Heddle Shipyards in Thunder Bay and Resolute Forest Products, both of which offered jobs to Ukrainian newcomers.

There are 31 Ukrainians working at Resolute Forest Products' sawmill in Atikokan, with five more set to start in March, said Craig Batten, the company's regional human resources manager.

The business connected with Thunder Bay and Atikokan's economic development teams and the Newcomer Centre of Peel to explore options for employing Ukrainians in northwestern Ontario.

"It's a win-win for us because of course we get an employee, they get themselves established," said Batten.

Batten keeps a close eye on Canada's immigration statistics, which show that more than 167,500 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada since Jan. 1, 2022.

From mid-March 2022 to Feb. 16, 2023, the federal government has received more than 862,000 applications from Ukrainians for temporary residency. Of those, nearly 560,000 have been approved. 

"It's definitely a great opportunity for many employers to look at hiring skilled individuals that have come into the workforce," Batten said.

The pathway to permanent residency

Oleksandr Ukhanov is one of the new Ukrainians at the Atikokan sawmill.

Ukhanov was working in Israel when the war broke out in Ukraine and came to Canada about eight months ago. He initially stayed in Thunder Bay with Dave Walsh. CBC News spoke with both men last spring, when Ukhanov was juggling two jobs.

Last summer, Ukhanov learned about the opportunity at Resolute and has been employed there since July.

His family, including his two children, are living in Italy. The cost of bringing them to Canada would be extremely high, so for now, Ukhanov is focused on achieving permanent residency. He is receiving support from the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association and the Newcomer Legal Clinic as he goes through the immigration process.

"Nice people live in Canada," he said.

For Walsh, opening up his home to Ukhanov seemed like the natural thing to do.

"I said to myself, this is ridiculous. These are innocent people and they were only guilty of living in a democracy next door to a dictatorship," he said.

Looking back on the months spent living with Ukhanov, Walsh said he'd do it all again. Hosting him was like having a "living history lesson," and it was hard to say goodbye when Ukhanov got the job in Atikokan.

"It was so rewarding to be able to do a very small bit to help someone who, again, is here basically because they're not able to go home anymore, and it was such a rewarding feeling," Walsh said.

Host families are still needed, not just for Ukrainians but for people coming to Thunder Bay from across the globe, said Muggeridge.