'It's not enough': Calgarian says Ukraine needs more support to fight war
As global outrage against Russia continues and the threats of more sanctions loom, at least one Ukrainian-Canadian is hoping the world will do more.
“Ukrainians fight bravely, but it's not enough,” says Yevgen Kanevskiy, who lives in Calgary. “They need to have more (military) help.”
Kanevskiy left his home in Kharkiv, Ukraine, about 16 years ago. When he did, he never thought his family and friends who stayed would experience the nightmare of war.
“On Feb. 24, some of our friends called us and said, 'Ok, it started,'" said Kanevskiy, talking about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “We were in tears.”
It’s now April, and it’s not any easier.
“We worry about them every single minute,” said Kanevskiy. “Every morning, our time, we start with texting them and figuring out whether they survived their day.”
Kanevskiy is part of the congregation at St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He is one of the members who is opening up his home to four people who have fled from Ukraine to Slovenia.
“They are waiting for their visas and we are expecting them so (we’ve prepared) our house for hosting people,” he said.
Calgary’s Centre for Newcomers is also getting ready for those seeking asylum in Canada and say it could number in the thousands.
“It’s better to prepare for the thousands,” said president and CEO Anila Lee Yuen.
“If we don't get the thousands, then we have that those resources and the supplies and the volunteers and everything for the rest of the community.”
Between March 17 and March 30, Canada saw 91,000 applications from Ukrainian people to come to Canada, according to the centre.
“During that time, in those two weeks, there was 14,000 that have been approved,” said Lee Yuen.
"I'm assuming that those numbers have now increased in terms of people that are actually arriving, and it's going to get even larger in terms of those applications."
Lee Yuen says the centre will focus on getting anyone coming to Calgary settled and offering any support they might need.
“(There are) long-term goals as well in terms of employment support, in terms of mental health supports,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
U.S. schools turn to artificial intelligence to spot guns as companies press lawmakers for state funds
Kansas could soon offer up to US$5 million in grants for schools to outfit surveillance cameras with artificial intelligence systems that can spot people carrying guns. But the governor needs to approve the expenditures and the schools must meet some very specific criteria.
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
opinion Harry and Meghan's Nigerian adventure: traditional attire to warm welcomes
For her latest column on CTVNews.ca, royal commentator Afua Hagan writes about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent visit to Nigeria, calling it a 'deeply meaningful campaign' that was about aligning their ongoing efforts to foster mental-health awareness and promoting the Invictus Games.
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
'It happened so fast': Evacuees describe fleeing Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire
Thousands have been forced to flee a wildfire burning near Fort Nelson. Meanwhile, some experienced volunteers are staying behind to fight the fire.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Michael Cohen takes the stand as testimony in Trump hush money case enters 4th week
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.