Having fled Russian attacks, woman now helps other Ukrainians settle in Calgary

“Ukrainian people really struggle with accommodation, even people with money, because it’s super expensive,” said Zarvii.

“There might have to some encouragement for people to go to smaller towns.”

Calgary has become a lightning rod for Ukrainian settlement during the nearly five-month-old war, ranking third among major Canadian cities with 4,300 people arriving here as of July 5, said Inna Platonova, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress’ Calgary branch.

But there’s a fear Canadians and those in other countries are losing interest in a war that looks to drag on indefinitely, she said.

“Fatigue is there and the war is not over — in fact, the terrorist attacks on civilians and casualties are only increasing,” said Platonova, echoing concerns over housing availability.

“We need more support to help these people in Calgary and Alberta.”

The Alberta government has recently extended financial support for Ukrainian newcomers and for their child care needs.

The most immediate challenge is providing temporary housing for arrivals, said Fariborz Birjandian, CEO of the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society.

Meeting those needs are 74 host families, while his agency is using Airbnbs and a hotel which is offering hotel rooms for $50 a night, he said.

More government support appears to be on the way, he added.

“We’ve been managing, so far so good … there’s a lot of grassroots support happening,” he said.

“It’s going to remain a challenge but I’m proud to say no one has had to go to a shelter or be outside.”

And like the Centre for Newcomers, Birjandian’s agency has also hired recent Ukrainian arrivals to assist their countrymen.

All of that and a generally optimistic and accepting outlook has made Zarvii a grateful recent newcomer.

“I love Canada — I’ve always wanted to live here without knowing it,” she said.