Arcprist Cornell Zubritsky sometimes sounds in Ukraine thousands of kilometers away.
Serence scratches from a Congress cellphone at the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in St. John the Baptist in Edmonton.
“Many of them have an air raid siren app on their phones in Canada here, and it will close. They do it so if they are their city, they come to the phone immediately to see if they are right, “Zubritsky said in an interview.
“For them, this is real. And then it makes it real for me because they are connected. They are fighting war every day. “
Zubritsky said most of his 150-person congregations are immigrants from Ukraine. The church membership declined during the Kovid -19 epidemic but again developed with Ukraine’s families.
Monday is three years after the Russian invasion. Thousands of people have been killed.
Get Breaking National News
For news around Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts when they are directly delivered to you.
About 300,000 Ukrainian emergency visas have arrived in Canada since 2022.
Zubritsky said some participated in their weekly church service Losing hope, and they don’t want to hear about what is happening in their homeland.
“For a few hours, they can come … and your country takes a little part of the daily stress to erupt.”
“They don’t need reminders. They are reminded every day. They get texts, they get a phone call. “
Sitting in the church, Sneez’s Khoshtska said he did not give much idea to the anniversary.
She and her three children, aged 10, 14 and 18, are in Canada after the war begins. Her husband lived in the Ukrainian Army, but left last year and joined the family in Edmonton.
trending now
-
![]()
Canadian Teng
-
![]()
Trudeau, Trump speaks of Ukraine because allies are afraid to move from war attempts
“I do not measure my life as if I am here in Canada for a year or three years. For me, it is horrible every day, not just like the third anniversary of this horrible war, “he said.
“I think it is hard to understand every day that this has happened to us, and no one will help prevent this.”
Khoshtska said he would want to return to Ukraine someday and stay with the friends and family behind it.
“From my kids, I’m not sure,” he said. “I think I will ask them and it will be their choice.”
Zubritsky said he no longer only offers tissue and emotional support for the people of Ukraine. It helps them find a job, deal with landlords, and tend the issues of immigration.
“As if they were not enough to deal, this year the small amount of immigration has been allowed, they are all appalled that Canada will kick them.”
“I come home a few days and during that day I have a good voice that all these people are common plight here.”
And PU COPY COPY COPY
