Quebec family dreaming of life after war in Ukraine: ‘we want to rebuild’

Stuck in the basement of her school, there was a time teacher Viktoriia Kolesnyk did not know if she would leave Ukraine alive.

For Sylvain Nelson, her husband waiting in Quebec, it was a time of uncertainty, dread and anguish.

That was the situation for the then-newlyweds in the weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.

After being separated for almost eight months, Kolesnyk and her son Vlad embarked on a harrowing journey to Canada where she reunited with Nelson in August 2022.

On the one-year anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war, the wife and husband are reflecting on their new lives together in Drummondville, Que., southeast of Montreal – and what the future holds.

“My mood changed. I am really more happy,” said Nelson. “I think Viktoriia can confirm that I’ll live the life for sure. The life is more beautiful and for sure it was a little bit of adaptation, but I think I was doing good then. Everybody is happy for that.”

“It was crazy life,” added Kolesnyk. “But here I am, calm. I have a comfortable life. And you appreciate that life.”

Viktoriia Kolesnyk and Sylvain Nelson Ukraine in Drummondville, Que., in February 2023. (Credit: CityNews/Alyssia Rubertucci)

The family does a lot of outdoor activities together, like going for walks and ice skating. They hope to plant a garden in the spring.

They also want to discover more of the province together.

“We travelled a lot where we went to Niagara Falls,” said Kolesnyk. “We travelled in different cities in Quebec. We also went fishing. It was very exciting.”

The couple just celebrated their first anniversary of marriage. They wed in Kyiv in January 2022, not long before the Russian invasion.


MORE ON KOLESNYK AND NELSON’S STORY:


Nelson had returned to Quebec as Kolesnyk and her 13-year-old son Vlad waited for their visas.

But then the war broke out. Kolesnyk and Vlad were forced to keep safe by hiding in Nyzhin, a town northeast of the capital Kyiv, before being able to flee to Poland.

“We just take the 24th of February last year, and it seems to me nothing changed,” said Kolesnyk. “Only time passed. And sure, we worry about our families, about our country. We worry about all this crazy situation which is going on.”

Viktoriia Kolesnyk and Sylvain Nelson Ukraine in Drummondville, Que., in February 2023. (Credit: CityNews/Alyssia Rubertucci)

The couple anxiously awaits the war’s end so they can resume their life plans and live in Ukraine together.

“Viktoriia showed me some places, some houses, some lands, and yeah we have again did this plan,” said Nelson.

“Ukraine will be new after this war,” added Kolesnyk. “And we want to rebuild. And we also want to do something for make Ukraine beautiful, not only because I am Ukrainian, but it is a country which just in the world. It is a very beautiful country.”

For now it’s one step at a time in Drummondville for Kolesnyk and Nelson. But still they keep all eyes on Ukraine.

“I think people need to don’t forget this war because it’s a long war… But I think it’s important to continue this fight. I think we need to organize. We need to unite together and win this war.”

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