Nova Scotia ready to welcome Ukrainians fleeing war

First at Five: Seeking Refuge Those with ties to Ukraine hope Canada and the Maritimes can offer some safety for those who need shelter.

Ukrainian-Canadian fisherman Lex Brukovskiy says he hasn’t been able to sleep over the past week due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Brukovskiy’s mother and extended family are taking cover in the western city of Lviv.

“It drives me nuts, because you want to help but you don’t know what to do,” said Brukovskiy from his home in Clare, N.S.

“I feel like there is not much I can do to help from here except send money.”

Brukovskiy is planning to fly to Poland, where thousands of Ukrainians, especially women and young children, have fled and continue to exit the country to escape the ongoing Russian missile attacks and bombings.

The 38-year-old has no military training but says he’s prepared to join the Ukrainian Armed Forces and fight for the country in which he was born.

“I’m a Ukrainian born Canadian and what’s most stressful is watching that situation unfold from here,” said Brukovskiy.

The fisherman has even written to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to request that he temporarily hand over his lobster fishing license to a replacement captain, to allow his crew to continue fishing the remainder of the lobster season.

The fishing waters in south-western Nova Scoria are considered the most lucrative lobster fishing area in the world, and there’s still three months worth of fishing to be done.

“For me to just haul my gear out of the water would financially be a major hit,” said Brukovskiy.

Brukovskiy says he’s already been in contact with a private Canadian immigration consultant. When on the ground in Poland, he will assist them as a volunteer translator in case any Ukrainians want to immigrate to Canada.

"I would encourage people here in Canada, like employers and such, to employ these people, because that would be great help and something we can do from here,” says Brukovskiy.

Canada’s Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) says they have created new avenues of support for Ukrainians and those looking to immigrate, study or work in Canada.

Andre Mereshuk, the president of the Nova Scotia branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, supports Canada’s move to prioritize Ukrainians and help Canadians bring immediate family members here. However, he wants the program to include more extended family members, not just immediate family like a spouse or child.

“We are trying to ask if it’s possible, if we can bring our grandparents, or sisters and brothers,” said Mereshuk.

Nova Scotia donated $100,000 to the Canadian-Ukraine foundation to help provide medical supplies, food and shelter to those impacted by the war.

Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration Jill Balser says they are working closely with the IRCC and if any Ukrainians wish to immigrate here to Nova Scotia, they are prepared to welcome them.

“Like we’ve seen in other crises, our response has really been to make sure that we are ready to fast track processing applications in a timely manner and really making sure the department is ready to do that work,” said Balser.

At this point, Nova Scotia says they haven’t had any immigration requests come in from Ukrainians but, like the war, they know that could change fast.

For the time being, Mereshuk thinks Ukrainians are safe in neighbouring countries like Poland, Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia, but they need the support of other allied countries, whether it’s military support or humanitarian aid.

“It’s war,” said Mereshuk. “Anything will help.”

The federal government has set up a hotline for Ukrainians abroad and in Canada to assist with immigration supports at 613-321-4243.

As the Russian invasion continues, the federal government said it’s closely monitoring the situation and those affected by the war in Ukraine.