Work to settle 230 displaced Ukrainians begins after plane arrives in Saskatchewan

On Monday evening, 230 displaced Ukrainians stepped off a plane at Regina International Airport and into their new lives in Canada.

The plane, which flew direct from Warsaw, Poland, carried people displaced from their homes during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"It's a really proud day," said MLA Terry Dennis, the legislative secretary responsible for Saskatchewan-Ukraine relations, at the airport.

"It's been a long time. We've had one or two [flights] redirected and it's finally come to fruition."

The enormous Boeing 787 was piloted by the plane's owner and the founder of the NGO Solidaire, Argentinian philanthropist Enrique Pineyro.

Over the next several days, all of the new arrivals will be directed to housing, language training and eventually employment services.

The Ukrainian Canadian Congress of Saskatchewan has been working for the last several months on the logistics of providing services to the new arrivals.

Congress president Elena Krueger told CBC Radio's The Morning Edition that 100 of the people on the plane were children.

"I tried to put myself in the shoes of of their parents and those mothers on the plane and thinking what they must be feeling," Krueger said.

"Anticipation and perhaps even a little bit of trepidation — what will it be like to to live in this new country? But then also a feeling, I'm sure, of relief to be somewhere safe."

For now, all of the people from the flight are being housed in dorm rooms at the University of Regina. Once their basic needs are met, the new arrivals are expected to be placed in towns and cities across the province.

Krueger noted that more than 13 per cent of Saskatchewan's population is estimated to have Ukrainian ancestry.

Anti-war icon on-board

Phan Thị Kim Phuc, 59, the girl in the famous 1972 Vietnam War napalm photo, escorted the displaced Ukrainians to Regina from Warsaw. 

She carried with her a message of peace. 

The anti-war icon and Canadian citizen travelled from Toronto to join the flight. Her image covered the side of the plane, along with the words "No War." 

"Fifty years ago, I was a victim of war. And I survived and I am so thankful for all the people who found a way to help that little girl. And here I am. And I'm so thankful to be a part of this trip to receive all the Ukraine refugee people to Canada," Kim Phuc said. 

She said she met a nine-year-old Ukrainian girl on-board the flight.

"She is so special for me because I got burned as a nine-year-old girl. And then look at her right now. It's just so special for me. I gave her my picture and I explained to her what happened to that little girl. And now she is me."

Kim Phuc said she thinks Canada will be an inviting and kind home for the Ukrainians she travelled with. 

Staying at the university

The morning after their long flight to Regina, Ukrainian families could be seen around the dormitories at the University of Regina. Children were playing as their parents picked up containers of lunch. 

A mother of two from western Ukraine said she was happy to be in Canada. She said the bombs and air raid alarms were hard on her and her sons, so they fled Ukraine for Poland, then on to Saskatchewan. 

"When there was this Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel, we decided to take advantage of it … to seek a safe place here," said Natalia Moroz. "They are all very welcoming people, and so that's the place far from that war and far from Russia."

Moroz says she hopes to settle permanently in either Regina or Saskatoon. 

Serhii Storozhenko, who arrived on the plane with his wife and three children, says arriving in Canada was bittersweet. 

"We have two emotions," he said. "First of all, very sad, sad situation. Of course, we go far away from our family, from our friends. So another part is, I think, more happy cause we believe [we have] hope for the good life."

Next, Storozhenko wants to focus on finding a job and a home for his family. 

New future

Regina's Ukrainian Canadian Co-op, which was opened in 1937 by Ukrainian immigrants, is already preparing to hire some of the newly arrived people.

"This store has always had strong ties to the Ukrainian community. That's why it's here," said general manager Carin Rodgers.

"I was quite ecstatic and very happy to hear that it's finally going to get here and that people are finally arriving."

Rodgers said the store has several spots currently open in its sausage making and meat cutting department.

Meanwhile, the Regina Open Door Society said it plans on helping the newly arrived people like every other newcomer it works with, by offering language training and employment services.

While the society said it's important to financially support groups like the Ukrainian Congress, a spokesperson said it's even more important for people to reach out to the newcomers themselves.

"If you have a new neighbour who is from Ukraine or if your kids get a new classmate, get to know them and hear their stories," said spokesperson Victoria Flores.

"Make sure that they feel like this is this is their new home. We're welcoming neighbours."