But unlike most Ukrainian refugees, they were leaving their home in Russia. When the invasion of Ukraine began six months ago, the Yankovskys were based in Siberia as medical professionals. “We were scared because we don’t know when our freedom (would end),” Petros told CTV News Vancouver Island on Friday. Petros’ wife, Olga, worked as a nurse and Petros as a paramedic. Petro says knowing that Russian attacks were taking lives in his homeland was incredibly difficult, but he didn’t hesitate to save Russian lives and do his job. “I can help them, I see no enemy,” he said. “We’re all human…we all have a health problem.” But as the war escalated, they feared for their lives and decided it was time to relocate. “I felt very dangerous,” Olga said. “It was awful.” The war in Ukraine prompted thousands of Ukrainians to come to Canada, prompting communities across the country to come together to collect supplies and help their new neighbors build homes here. Since the federal government first announced in March that it would open new avenues for Ukrainians to seek refuge in this country, about 74,500 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada. The Yankovskyi family currently lives in a former resort that has been turned into a safe haven for refugees by carpenter and businessman Brian Holowaychuk. Holowaychuk, who is of Ukrainian heritage, worked for months to turn the 82-acre property into a free home for displaced Ukrainians. It is already providing free accommodation to 24 Ukrainians at the refurbished property in East Souk, near Victoria. “I can’t imagine being in their shoes, so when they contacted us — you know they were looking for somewhere to go — luckily, we had room,” he said. Victoria Grando, director of the Ukrainian Cultural Center of Victoria, told CTV News Vancouver Island that she is hearing from increasing numbers of Ukrainians hoping to escape Russia. “(It’s) increasingly unsafe for Ukrainians working there,” Grando says, noting that the center helps Ukrainians hoping to flee Russia with online information about Canada. But often these sites are not accessible to Ukrainians in Russia due to their strict censorship laws. The Jankowskis hope to start fresh and put down new roots in Canada. The couple’s six-year-old daughter Lisa starts school next week. Her parents hope to get Canadian health care credentials and work in their new home country – saving lives once again.
