Hundreds of Ukrainian newcomers seek out normalcy at Calgary job fair 

Job fair aims to pair newcomers with positions Thousands of Ukrainians have come to Calgary and many are still seeking employment. A special job fair aims to assist them.

Roughly 800 new Canadians touched up their resumes and made some connections at a Ukrainian-Calgarian job fair Friday.

St. Stephen Protomartyr Ukrainian Church hosted the event, which brought in refugees looking for work. They were greeted by 30 different local employers searching for new faces for retail, construction and health care positions.

"It's such a pleasure to help a lot of people at the same time, in the same place," said Julia Moroz, job fair organizer. "I believe that at least half of them will get a job after meeting here."

And the newcomers weren't only given opportunities to show their resumes off -- many employers offered help improving them, too.

That learning and networking was a huge boost for job seeker Tonia Shevchenko.

"I'm looking for a job because I'm a psychologist and when I came here, I understood with my licence, I can't work," she told CTV News. "I'm so grateful that I'm here."

Shevchenko, who was looking for social work opportunities Friday, says she's confident she'll get a call-back from at least one of the companies she chatted with.

As her hometown in central Ukraine comes under siege, the job fair -- and the comfort of normalcy it represents -- carries extra importance.

"Yesterday, my mother-in-law called me and said that there's drones above my native city," Shevchenko said. "So the situation is still too dangerous to go back, especially with my two kids."

Mark Ewanchyna, who is with the church, said the event attendees share similar stories.

"(The newcomers) are not looking for handouts," he said. "They really want to set themselves up for success in the future."

St. Stephen hosted the fair, but it also had help from local churches St. Vladimir's and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

"It's easy enough to go to a website, but finding that face-to-face interaction with people makes a difference," said Ewanchyna.