Saskatchewan has started to welcome Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion.
One Saskatoon woman is thankful her parents were able to flee their city which is just 20 kilometers from Bucha — the site of the latest Russian attacks.
Anna Kalyta, who has been living in Saskatoon for eight years, says her parents had to make the decision to leave their home quickly. They gathered what they could carry in a suitcase on March 5.
They heard bombs going off in their city of Bovary, 10 kilometers east of the capital, Kyiv, she said.
The Khamitovys, both in their late 60s, took a bus west just before the Polish border, then walked three hours to make it the rest of the way.
They stayed on cots for many nights in a sports center in Poland along with about 800 other people. Vasyl Khamitov started the process to get his passport updated and then continued that process in Germany.
Almost one month after they left their home, they were en route to Calgary.
Once they arrived here, it was emotional, Raisa Khamitova said, with her daughter translating.
“I was crying all the time.”
She said they are happy but also feel guilty for those left behind.
“I was thinking why me, why am I so lucky.”
Their son and his family remain in Ukraine, which weighs heavily on their minds.
For now, they will take time to get over the shock, enjoying time with their daughter and grandchildren.
They say they’re hoping to give back to the community in some way while they are here, such as learning more English so they can volunteer and help more people coming from Ukraine.
Raisa is starting the process to get a part-time job. Her sights of her are set on a local grocery store in their neighborhood once the paperwork is complete. She’s also hoping to plant a garden like the one she had at home once the weather allows.
The Ukrainian Canadian Congress says displaced Ukrainians who are coming now are being sponsored by families or friends; the group expects more to arrive in the coming months who do not have close ties and who will need support.