Inna Yermolenko, left, and Boris Khodorkovsky move to their new home on Monday at Symphony Senior Living in Orleans. The Ukrainian couple, along with their three children, fled the Russian invasion of their country this year. (Christian Milette / Radio-Canada)
Hugs, smiles from ear to ear and cheers greeted Inna Yermolenko and Boris Khodorkovsky when they arrived at the Symphony Senior Living retirement home in Ottawa on Monday morning.
Dozens of vibrant yellow and blue signs and balloons waved in the air, held by residents who received the Ukrainian couple as the youngest members of their family.
“Welcome home,” they said over and over again.
“That was a big, big surprise. It was very emotional,” Yermolenko said of the unexpected welcome party on the day of his move. “We didn’t expect that.”
“Just without words,” Khodorkovsky said.
TARGET | Couple touched by the hospitality of Orleans:
Ukrainians fleeing the war welcome a new home in the Ottawa Retirement Community
Inna Yermolenko and Boris Khodorkovsky were greeted with signs, balloons, and hugs as they arrived at the Symphony Senior Living Retirement Home in Orleans, which will be their no-rent home for six months as they begin a new life in Canada.
The couple and their three children fled the Russian invasion of their country. An estimated 3,200 Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war have already landed in the country’s capital, as a network of settlement agencies and volunteer groups helps them get used to their new communities.
And for the nursing home in the suburbs of Orleans, Ottawa, the decision to host the family was easy.
Christine Turner, vice president of regional operations for Symphony Senior Living, said the retirement home had an apartment available. Residents, their families and the community at large donated furniture and helped prepare the space.
“It was really fun,” he said. They offer the apartment to the family for free for six months.
“Hopefully it might be comfortable enough for them to stay here with us later.”
A resident shows a blue sign welcoming a Ukrainian family to their new home for the next six months. (Christian Milette / Radio-Canada)
New beginnings
“It will be so useful to us that I can’t express it,” Yermolenko said. “We’ve lost everything and here we start from scratch. So that’s a very, very, very big support for us.”
Khodorkovsky, who said he studied in Canada as a student more than two decades ago, said he could not express his gratitude enough.
“I left when I was a student. So I spent my whole life in Ukraine … Now I start here from scratch; credit scores, everything,” he said.
The couple used to have a children’s toy manufacturing business in Ukraine. They hope to open another business in Canada, but acknowledge that it will take time.
“It takes a lot of effort, time and money … So this will help us to establish ourselves from a certain point, just to go alone,” Khodorkovsky said.
Khodorkovsky shakes hands with a resident of a retirement home during his surprise welcome party. (Christian Milette / Radio-Canada)
Resident Patricia Nelson said she is grateful and blessed to be a part of the welcome party.
“Because they’re people like me. We’re all people. And I’m glad I can help them,” he said.
Pierrette Woods said she is proud to be part of the community, especially on a day like this.
“I’m sure everyone here will be willing to help them. We just have to be careful not to overwhelm them because they’ve gone through horrible things in their country.”