FamilysettlinginayearaftertheyfledKyiv

Job offer, support from community eased transition

DIANE STRANDBERG dstrandberg@tricitynews.com

As many as 171 students from Ukraine have arrived and are attending schools in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody 62 have arrived since September

Here is one family’s story Russia’s invasion of Ukraine just over one year ago set in motion a traumatic series of events for the Betancourt family.

Only now, as the war enters its second year, is Anton Estrada Betancourt comfortable about his decision to relocate his family to Coquitlam.

Twelve months ago, Betancourt was alarmed by the “terrible” attack on Ukraine, including the shelling of Kyiv, the country’s capital, where his family lived until mid-February.

Initially, Russian forces captured key areas to the north and west of Kyiv leading to international speculation of the city’s imminent fall

Betancourt was on vacation, snowboarding with his family in Georgia when war broke out

Admitting it was a risk to go, he was still devastated when the invasion happened.

“After two days, the war started and terrible things started happening,” recalled Betancourt.

More worrisome, his one-year-old daughter was stuck in Kyiv with her grandmother

Poland was the Betancourt family’s first refuge after leaving their Georgia vacation spot

“It was terrible when you realized your kid’s under attack in Kyiv. Thank god my wife’s parents were quickly moved to west Ukraine near the border with Poland.”

With his family members now reunited, and their safety his first concern, Betancourt chose not to return to Kyiv.

As the family’s only English speaker, he was worried they would be left to fend for themselves

Even Poland didn’t feel safe, as there were fears of further Russian incursion into the NATO country

“I really wanted to be part of the Ukrainian army because I never thought to live in another country. I love life in Ukraine. I love my life,” said Betancourt.

However, it seemed to Betancourt that a more practical course of action was to relocate.

He chose Canada, he said, because he thought it would be a “comfortable place” to “start from zero”

With the help of a host family in Port Moody and the promise of employment as a photographer with Dynamic Weddings,

Betancourt flew with his family from Poland to YVR

The war could be fought from afar, thought Betancourt, as he joined other expat Ukrainians in raising funds for drones

In fact, a small cottage industry has been started by supporters of Ukraine, with a number of non-profit ventures and even GoFundMe crowd-funding efforts to raise money for reconnaissance drones

Since arriving in Coquitlam in June, under a federal program that allows Ukrainians to work for three years, the Betancourt family has settled in

Thanks to his Dynamic Weddings boss, Dennis Bellia, who gathered furniture and supplies for the family, the Betancourts have outfitted a five-bedroom home they rent in Coquitlam.

Bellia said he was happy to help.

“Truly, it was the entire community who did this. I just put the word out,” Bellia told the Tri-City News.

“Dozens of families contributed to play a role in helping a family establish themselves in a foreign country”

Thanks to that initial support, and a job, Betancourt has been able to welcome other members of his ex- tended family, including his wife’s parents, brother and a cousin

They all share the rent, making the house affordable, and share a single leased vehicle, said Betancourt, who is still working on getting his driver’s license

Another cousin remains in Ukraine fighting, while Betancourt’s own mother refuses to leave A psychologist, she wants to stay behind in Kyiv and look after her parents, as well as help Ukrainians suffering from war trauma, said Betancourt.

As for his daughters, they are adapting well to their new life. One is attending Aspenwood Elementary in Port Moody, learning English and making friends.

The future is a bit uncertain, Betancourt admits, with the war continuing into its second year.

It will also be difficult to uproot his family when the war eventually does end.

For now, he’s happy to be in Canada, which he considers a “safe country”

“I had to create create this life [in Canada] in one week, without any contacts iI was hard,” said Betancourt

“It is hard even now but every day, my life gets simpler and more clear, and I understand how and what I have to do to live here”