The program has closed, but several Ukrainians are hoping the door to a life in Canada will remain open.
Vasyl Davydenko and Dmytro Borovyk arrived in Salmon Arm two years ago under the auspices of the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program. Soon after landing in Montreal, the couple arrived in Salmon Arm and are grateful for the support they received from the Shuswap Support to Ukrainians Project.
鈥淵ou are extraordinary people who, through your sincerity and love, have inspired us to fight, live, and strive for new heights in our lives,鈥� Davydenko wrote in a recent email to the organizers. 鈥淵our faith that we can succeed, that we are capable and strong, has carried us through this difficult but rewarding journey toward stability and peace.鈥�
Ukrainian newcomers were given a one-time grant of $3,000, a work permit, healthcare card and access to English lessons. Under the rules of the federal program, they are permitted to remain in Canada for three years, after which they may apply for landed immigrant status.
But the there are no guarantees their applications will be approved.
As a same-sex couple, Davydenko and Borovik faced a life of hate, harassment in Ukraine.
Davydenko, is an army veteran who helped defend his country when Russia attacked Crimea in 2014, and Borovik served in the army between the summer of 2018 to December 2019. Davydenko was injured in a bomb blast and spent six months in hospital.
Following his release and with no financial support, he began a life of subsistence that deteriorated further following a vicious beating by six young men after he came out on TV.
Unable to get jobs in Ukraine, the couple moved to Poland, but when word of their sexuality became known, they faced the same discrimination and harassment.
Fear for their lives evaporated when the couple landed in Montreal in March 2022 and they remain astonished and extremely grateful for the help they received from the Shuswap Support to Ukrainians Project.
Settling in Salmon Arm in Aug. 2022, the pair have both acquired full-time positions with Interior Health, and have no desire to return to Ukraine.
Educated in Ukraine, Davydenko has two masters degrees 鈥� one in law and the other in history, and Borovyk has the qualifications equivalent to a licensed practical nurse.
Five nights a week, Davydenko is employed as a cleaner at Shuswap Lake General Hospital. On several weekday mornings, he goes from his midnight to 8 a.m. shift to the Shuswap Family Resource Centre where he works as a law foundation poverty advocate.
鈥淗e is an awesome asset to the centre,鈥� said executive director Patricia Thurston, pointing out Davydenko helps people navigate issues such as those involving people with disabilities and tenancy disagreements. 鈥淲e are very pleased with his intelligence, knowledge and ability to speak more than one language.鈥�
Despite rotating shifts, Borovyk loves his work in food services at Bastion Place. Both men care about their positions and are always willing to work overtime on behalf of patients and residents.
鈥淲e want to be helpful; we are invisible but we are important,鈥� Davydenko said with pride, and jubilation when, two days after the interview, the couple received word that their work permits, which were to expire in August 2025 have been extended to August 2028.
鈥淲e are allowed to live and work in Canada until that entire time,鈥� he said.
Time off rarely coincides and when it does, sleeping and a bit of TV are the primary activities. Having been gifted a keyboard, Davydenko sometimes finds creative solitude by composing poetry.
The couple is grateful to Interior Health for employment and a letter of support to accompany their application for permanent residency, which was filed in August 2024. Getting work permits extended in a process Davydenko dreams of 鈥� obtaining permanent residency and becoming a contributing Canadian citizen.
Davydenko says the couple lives in hope of a positive federal response but waiting is difficult.
鈥淲e never can relax and quit worrying about the future,鈥� he said, pointing out he doesn鈥檛 know what will happen if their application is not approved. 鈥淭here is no Plan B.鈥�
A survey distributed to several Shuswap organizations 12 days after the March 22, 2022 launch of the CUAET Program garnered an 鈥渙verwhelming response鈥� and the birth of the Shuswap Support to Ukrainians Project.
Steered by Canadian Armed Forces veteran Jean-Luc Desgroseilliers and retired Global Affairs employee Carole Landry, 13 support teams comprised of more than 75 volunteers, coordinated various activities around education, employment, financial, fundraising, general support, health, housing, in-kind donations, orientation, social and recreation, transportation, welcoming and translation assistance.
In an astonishing show of support and 6,100 volunteer hours, five Ukrainian families were welcomed to the Shuswap and a fundraising goal of $35,000 was surpassed, rising to $50,926.
Acceptance of Ukrainians under the federal CUAET program came to an end on March 24, followed by the formal closing of the Shuswap Support to Ukrainians Project in December.
Desgroseilliers says he is proud not only of his volunteers, but of the Shuswap as a whole, with people and businesses stepping up from Sicamous to Chase.
鈥淭he overriding factor is the Shuswap community,鈥� says Desgroseilliers, who notes that the project also led to the creation of many new and lasting friendships. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to be a big community to do something big, even if you have limited resources.鈥�
Desgroseilliers and Landry have advised the Ukrainian families that although the formal project has closed, they will be available to provide any assistance in the future.
鈥淲e believe this project enriched our lives and clearly demonstrated that our community spirit is alive and well in the Shuswap,鈥� wrote Desgrosseilliers and Landry in a December email. 鈥淲e have made a difference in the lives of five Ukrainian families by welcoming them into our community with open arms and giving them hope.鈥�
That hope now lies with the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
