Inna Ermolenko, left, and Boris Khodorkovsky move into their new home at the Symphony Senior Living in Orleans on Monday. The Ukrainian couple, along with their three children, fled the Russian invasion of their country this year. (Christian Millet / Radio Canada)
Hugs, tooth-to-ear smiles and applause greeted Inna Ermolenko and Boris Khodorkovsky when they arrived at the Symphony Senior Living nursing home in Ottawa on Monday morning.
Dozens of bright yellow and blue signs and balloons fluttered in the air, held by residents who accepted the Ukrainian couple as the newest members of their family.
“Welcome home,” they said again and again.
“It was a great, great surprise. It was so touching,” Ermolenko said of the unexpected welcome party on the day of their application. – We did not expect it.
“Just speechless,” Khodorkovsky said.
WATCH Couple touched by the hospitality of the people of Orleans:
Ukrainians fleeing the war are welcome in a new home in the Ottawa Retirement Community
Inna Ermolenko and Boris Khodorkovsky were greeted with signs, balloons and hugs when they arrived at the Symphony Senior Living in Orleans, which will be their rental home for six months as they begin a new life in Canada.
The couple and their three children fled Russia’s invasion of their country. Approximately 3,200 Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war have already landed in the country’s capital as a network of resettlement agencies and volunteer groups help them get used to their new communities.
And for the elderly home in the Orleans suburb of Ottawa, the decision to welcome the family was easy.
Christine Turner, vice president of regional operations at Symphony Senior Living, said an apartment is available at the nursing home. Residents, their families and the wider community donated furniture and helped prepare the space.
“It was really fun,” she said. They offer the family an apartment for free for six months.
“We hope they may be comfortable enough to stay here with us after that.”
A resident holds a blue sign welcoming a Ukrainian family to their new home for the next six months. (Christian Millet / Radio Canada)
New beginning
“It will be so useful for us, I can’t express myself,” Ermolenko said. “We lost everything and here we start from scratch. So that’s 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’m starting from scratch; credit scores, everything,” he said.
The couple had a toy business in Ukraine. They hope to eventually open another business in Canada, but admit it will take time.
“It takes a lot of effort, time and money… So this will help us settle down from a certain point, just to walk alone,” Khodorkovsky said.
Khodorkovsky shakes hands with a resident of the retirement home during their surprise welcome party. (Christian Millet / Radio Canada)
Resident Patricia Nelson said she was grateful and blessed to be part of the welcome party.
“Because they are people like me. We are all human. And I’m glad we can help them,” she said.
Pierrette Woods said she was proud to be part of the community, especially on a day like this.
“I am sure that everyone here will be willing to help them. We just have to be careful not to overwhelm them, because they’ve been through horrible things in their country. “
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