Saskatoon steel company provides soft landing for displaced Ukrainians
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Murray Pobran, the general manager at Varsteel in Saskatoon, knew he wanted to do something.
“I went to the president and CEO and explained how close to home this was hitting for me being of Ukrainian descent and with several of my friends, family and coworkers being Ukrainian. He asked if I thought there was any way we could help,” Pobran told CTV News.
From there the process started to get the word out that the company was hiring Ukrainians coming to Saskatoon.
With the help of social media, he says Yaroslav Kravchuk and Vova Rybachenko contacted Varsteel for a job.
Rybachenko is an English as a Second Language teacher in Ukraine and was impressed by the quick reply he received to his application.
“I was surprised by the response, it was very fast and positive,” Rybachenko says.
He is waiting for his family to join him in Canada so he can help them get settled in Saskatoon.
Yaroslav Kravchuk, also a displaced Ukrainian hired at Varsteel, says the settlement process has gone well for him and his wife, mother-in-law and three young children despite still recovering from the trauma and shock of fleeing their home in Kyiv.
“When we left it was horrible. The first night was horrible, the second night, we were sleeping in the cellar of our apartment building,” Kravchuk told CTV News.
Varsteel helped Kravchuk with an apartment for his family, with the rental company offering free rent for two months. Gift cards have been provided by management and staff at Varsteel and assistance was given to help reimburse them for their flights to get to Canada.
Like many industries, theirs is finding a shortage of skilled reliable workers, according to Pobran, so hiring displaced Ukrainians is proving to be mutually beneficial.
The two newest employees say they’ve gained a sense of belonging.
“We are thankful to the company that adopted us and they’re brave enough to hire people from far away. I do feel like we are part of the company and part of the family,” Rybachenko said.
Varsteel operates in Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and Manitoba. The plan is to hire dozens more workers to fit the requirements in all locations, building on the success in Saskatoon.
The company says the men are being paid the same wage as other employees at Varsteel and are not replacing Canadian workers, and the company also continues to recruit local Canadian employees.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.