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Becoming Canadian

For Andrei Antonenko, becoming a Canadian meant rethinking his relationship with police

Andrei Antonenko, who was born in Ukraine, and became a Canadian citizen on July 20, 2016 in Regina, learned that encountering police in Canada don't always mean trouble.

"In Ukraine, police stop you, you have trouble."

Becoming Canadian ·

This story is part of Becoming Canadian, a year-long project sharing stories of struggle and triumph from new Canadian citizens.

"In Ukraine, police stop you, you have trouble. [In Regina] police stopped me. I lost my direction and had to drive a couple of times around one block. They stopped me and asked, 'What are you doing?' Maybe they think I'm drunk. I was scared.

Police stop me, red and blue lights. I think my life is done.

Police stop me, red and blue lights. I think my life is done. But they were friendly, they helped me, they showed me directions and drove ahead of me and with lights. I felt like a kid."

—Andrei Antonenko, born in Ukraine. Lives in Regina, became a Canadian citizen on July 20, 2016 in Regina.

​To find more stories about the struggles and triumphs of new Canadian citizens, follow Canada 2017 on Facebook and @BecomingCDN on Instagram and Twitter.