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
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
BREAKING Canadian Blood Services apologizes to LGBTQ2S+ community for discriminatory blood donation policy
Canadian Blood Services issued an apology on Friday to the LGBTQ2S+ community for what it now admits was a harmful and discriminatory blood donation policy that prevented sexually active men who have sex with men and some trans people from donating blood and plasma.
BREAKING 'Just wait': Toronto mayor hints that WNBA team is coming to the city amid multiple reports
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow says that she is hopeful an announcement could be made soon amid multiple reports that a WNBA team is coming to Toronto in 2026.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Ontario coroner to investigate death of man who suffered cardiac arrest while waiting in ER
A provincial coroner will be investigating the death of 68-year-old David Lippert, who suffered a cardiac arrest while waiting in a crowded emergency room in Kitchener, Ont.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.
Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.