A family fleeing war in Ukraine has finally touched down in their new South Okanagan home, thanks in part to the dedicated work of local volunteers who are always looking to grow their numbers to keep up their worthy cause.
Ukraine Nightingale Project, or URP, is a local group that provides assistance to Ukrainians settling in the region and, in the case of their most recent family, goes above and beyond to help with the immigration process.
The Kiladze family of two parents and two children arrived at Kelowna International Airport extremely early Wednesday morning, to welcoming flags held by volunteers and big smiles. They were then transported by URP to a hotel in Penticton.
"I can tell you, we all cried. We were all very emotional," said URP co-chair Jennifer Martison, who has been working with the Kiladzes for the better part of a year.
"[The family] told me in the car they had completely given up all hope of getting to Canada."
Originally from Georgia, the family of four have spent the last 25 years in the Kherson region of Ukraine as grain farmers.
When war arrived and the Russian army burned their farm, they fled back to Georgia, which they had left in the first place due to earlier Russian aggression.
With no way to get work and the children not allowed to attend school while they were waiting to come to Canada, the family went through hard times. An administrative mix-up with their visas and misplaced passports led to even more complication and wait time, and for a while, things seemed too hopelessly tangled to move forward.
That's where URP and the Wyse family of Burrowing Owl Estate Winery, who had already secured the house for the family, kicked their efforts into high gear. In January, they reached out to MP Richard Cannings, who got to work.
Cannings involved Immigration Minister Sean Fraser's office, and after a few months, the visa and passport were located and sent back to the visa application centre in Tblisi, Georgia.
UNP stepped up to help the family with international travel arrangements to get them to the South Okanagan and on to Keremeos Wednesday, to the waiting support of volunteers including translators.
"It's a little frenetic right now, and I'm exhausted, we're all emotionally tired, but they're very happy to be here. They are looking forward to starting a new life in Canada," Martison said, adding they think Keremeos will be a perfect fit as the family were farmers before the Russian invasion.
The family are also looking forward to getting together soon with relatives elsewhere in British Columbia who have also fled the war successfully.
Happy endings like this family's have been made possible through UNP since the Ukraine refugee crisis began, and would not happen without dedicated volunteers.
UNP began in Oliver in fall 2022, welcoming their first family of seven to the area. That original family is now thriving and mostly independent, thanks to the UNP support.
Since then, UNP has been assisting five other Ukrainian families with their needs in the Penticton area.
With the shift to Penticton, they have been trying to recruit more volunteers in the city.
"We have found it necessary to try and recruit more volunteers in the Penticton area. The volunteer duties that we need would cover a wide range of skill sets. In addition to drivers and companions, UNP needs researchers that can find and update information that is relevant to Ukrainian newcomers," Martison explained
"We need someone to update and control our social media. Executive positions, such as recording secretary, and fund raising are also very important. If you have time, and the capacity to assist, UNP would welcome you to join us in this very necessary and rewarding work."
They are planning a meeting in Penticton soon. To keep up to date or express your interest, email [email protected], call Jennifer Martison at 403-690-7491, or fill out a volunteer intake form online.
