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EESTI ELU reedel, 24. juunil 2022 — Friday, June 24, 2022
The realities of life in Canada for Ukrainian refugees Interview by Vincent Teetsov
English-language supplement to the Estonian weekly “EESTI ELU” Tartu College Publications Founding Chairman: Elmar Tampõld Editor: Laas Leivat 3 Madison Avenue, Toronto, ON M5R 2S2 T: 416-733-4550 • F: 416-733-0944 • E-mail: editor@eestielu.ca Digital: www.eestielu.ca
Ukraine’s plight and the media International news coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shown a predict ably huge contrast in content and viewpoint. Press freedom or government control have been the determining factors in this wide difference in not only opinion but also facts. We all know the chokehold with which the Kremlin strangles the media in Russia. “War” in reference to the war in Ukraine can only be used in a context such as: “The West started an economic war against Russia.” Or, “Facebook started an in formational war without rules to Russia.” The Russian online Gazeta.ru newsfeed very rarely mentions war casualties and Russian prisoners of war. In fact, the Kremlin has stated that war casualty statistics can be men tioned only when the Defence Ministry so decides. On March 25, it admitted to 1,351 dead. Western media had placed the total many thousands higher. NATO for one, has estimated that after four months the total could be as high as 15,000. In terms of the severity of human losses, compare this to the offi cial Russian figure of 14,453 for fallen soldiers over the full 10-year span of its war in Afghanistan. The use of any non-official numbers in describing casual ties is a criminal offence. To comply with the law, they ad here to official statements. It’s evident that the Russian govern ment prefers to keep silence on the topic. But dead soldiers cannot be hidden forever. The families will be notified sooner or later. Human losses will eventually become the actual reality check and truth will be exposed. Even though opinion polls in Russia are inaccurate for many reasons, Western observers still insist that they give a rough indication of the populations’ feelings of the war. Since the people are being grossly misled about the war, it’s no surprise that they’re supportive of the “special military operation” of which they are “proud”. Media controlled by auto cratic regimes show many simi larities. They reflect the govern ment narrative. In China’s case this means not allowing news of the war a dominant position in any line-up. Domestic issues
come first. In China, Russia is shown in a sympathetic light. Also, fol lowing Russia’s primary mes sage, it’s not a “war”. And, the US and the West are to blame. Government-sanctioned media takes its cue from the Chinese Communist regime. Within Chinese social media, some dissenting voices and dif ferent perspectives do break through. However, they have difficulty sustaining their posi tion, due to eventual censorship. In the West our connection with the brutal onslaught suffered by the Ukrainian people is through reportage from journalists in the war zone. This is augmented by analysis and commentaries distant from the conflict. Unquestionably media cover age plays a major role in in fluencing our knowledge of and feelings about the Russian invasion. In general, the Western press, except for some fringe right and left media, support Ukraine in its fight for self-preservation. However, com mentary ranges over a wide spectrum of opinions in Estonia as with media in all demo cracies: ERR – “Germany broke its promise to give Ukraine more heavy artillery”. ERR – “Mihkelson: Scholz and Macron are easing Russia to wards more aggression.” The Telegraph: “Germany is under mining the West’s oil embargo.” In contrast: BNS – “Totally unexpected for Putin was the NATO unity resulting from Russia’s attack.” ERR – “Pedro Sanchez: NATO support for Ukraine is solid.” It’s evident that in an open society, one would expect a range of obser vations, but not “alternative facts” as Trump’s White House put it. Soon Russia’s unwarranted attack against Ukraine will reach its fifth month. Will the West sustain its support amidst a possible dwindling of media attention just as Russian forces are reportedly making gains on the battlefield? The Russian invasion has surely merited the enormous coverage it’s received in the West. In addition to the horren dous humanitarian disaster in Ukraine, we cannot dismiss the notion, even confirmed by highly ranked ex-Kremlin officials, that the war can transform into
The invasion of Ukraine and the escape of Ukrainian refu gees has sobering parallels to what Estonian refugees went through after fleeing their homeland during the Second World War. This begs the question, then: is there light at the end of the tunnel for those who have sought refuge in Canada? One Ukrainian family – Amir and Liliia Harati and their five-year-old daughter, Amira – have found a place to live with an Estonian-Canadian, Toomas Marley. In Marley’s home in midtown Toronto, Amir related his family’s experiences thus far. You and your family were living in Kyiv before the war. Can you describe the journey from there to Toronto? It all happened over three months. In February, I was working as an electrical engi neer for SNC Lavalin in Oman. Although I planned to come back home on the 23rd via Qatar Airways, I arrived in Doha and found all of the flights cancelled. So I sent an email to the HR of my employer, explaining my situation, and they managed to book another ticket. And I’m so happy they did that. If it was one day later, everything would be different, because the day after I arrived, the bombing started. My wife Liliia’s family are from Zhytomyr, west of Kyiv. So we went there and stayed for one night with Liliia’s sister, brother-in-law, grandfather, and grandmother. The news became worse and worse, and so I said that we had to leave the country. I wanted to be sure about everything, so I made the deci sion to go first and see what was happening. That was very difficult, because the only people who could leave the country were women and children. As a foreigner, I could leave. But Ukrainian men were not permitted to leave the a wider conflict. An emboldened Putin could eventually also target the Baltic states. With the current steady focus on Ukraine, we should be con cerned of it being abandoned too soon. Could Ukraine, like other conflicts, become the victim of only episodic report ing? Just for example, most news media, don’t have any presence in the Middle East or Africa, where ongoing, longterm military confrontations, ignited long ago, continue with full force. Ukraine is a story of para mount importance. The fact that news from Ukraine could be come just “background noise” on TV is just as worrisome as the suppression of truth to the Russian people. If our interest fades, so will the attention of Western TV and print media. LAAS LEIVAT
country. I arrived in Kraków after three days and then after one day I met Liliia at the border. Eventually, we flew from Berlin, Germany to Toronto, ar riving on the fourth of May. The Red Cross helped us with three days of hotel accommoda tion. After that, I called many organizations and shelters to find somewhere for ourselves, but nobody could help us. There are lots of organizations around, but the service is poor in my experience. Eventually, it was through the [CanadaUkraine Authorization for Emer gency Travel] that we were put in contact with Toomas. What has it been like to find employment and settle here in Canada? It’s been a stressful time. It’s difficult as an electrical engi neer, working now for 11 years in oil and gas projects, includ ing in Australia and Middle Eastern countries, to be asked to take entry-level work. It’s hard to accept it. I’ve been applying to many companies over the last 40 days, but haven’t had success. The government has support ed us financially and socially. But we still need to find jobs. All the people who have come here due to this situation, they need jobs more than financial help. I’m ready to start from zero, but in a relevant field like energy, electrical. There are some jobs here, but it’s difficult as a newcomer if your experience is not in Canada. Accommodation is also a major problem. We are ready to rent a place, but even if you offer to pay three or four months rent as a deposit, you are asked for a job contract. I have never seen that anywhere. Even if I show six months of bank account statements, it’s not enough. Has Liliia been able to find work? Not yet, because she cannot speak English very well. We found an ESL course for her, so she’s focusing on that. We’d prefer to wait for two months when Amira goes to school. Conversely, how has your daughter settled into life here with school and friends? This was successful. The school application was easy and quick. We just enrolled her for the start of school in September. Other social benefits, though, like summer camp, or using facilities at the YMCA, haven’t been so easy to access. It’s an expensive country. What are the biggest cul tural differences that you have noticed between Ukraine and Canada? You know, my wife and daughter are Ukrainian, but my background is Iranian. The first time I went to Ukraine was back in 2007, for a vacation. Then, Liliia and I met each other through social media, and we fell in love. Ukrainian
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Notice of meeting of Shareholders Estonian House in Toronto Limited 6:30 P.M June 29, 2022 Online at: www. estohouse.com/agm Notice to Shareholders Shareholders are invited to par ticipate in the Annual General Meeting of the Estonian House in Toronto Limited on June 29, 2022. Shareholders can attend the meeting virtually or over the phone. Instructions for access ing the meeting are available at www.estohouse.com/agm. This meeting is a private meeting of Estonian House in Toronto Limited and is closed to the general public. Invitations have been mailed, and where requested emailed, to all Shareholders. Shareholders who are unable to participate have the option of assigning a proxy. Proxies must be registered twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting. Shareholders can register proxies in the following manner: 1. By mail, addressed to the Secretary Eric Sehr at 958 Broadview Avenue, Toronto M4K 2R6; 2. By fax to 416-461-2017; 3. Deposited at the Manager’s office located at 958 Broadview Avenue; or 4. By email to shares@ estohouse.com. Any proxies sent by mail that are not received or submit ted by fax, in-person or email after 6:30 pm on June 28, 2022 will not be accepted. These timing restrictions are designed to allow management adequate time to prepare and distribute electronic ballots for each proxy holder for the online election platform, Electionbuddy, to be used at the meeting. p eople are welcoming and good at communicating. It’s a won derful country. So I just really felt at home there. Looking from another per spective, though, it’s similar here. I didn’t feel any differen ces in that way. What are your family’s plans or hopes for the near future? It would be a good decision (Continued on page 12)
Amir, Liliia, and Amira. Photo used with permission from the Harati family
