Miramichi area Ukrainians prior to February 2022
Prior to February 2022, when the Russians began their brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there was only a handful of people of known Ukrainian heritage living in the Miramichi area. Now, there are over 150, bringing their skills, their work ethic, and their desire for a better, more peaceful life to that beautiful and historically rich part of New Brunswick.
The Ukrainian Club of Moncton
There had been a small but strong Ukrainian presence in Moncton for quite some time and, to a somewhat lesser extent, in Saint John and Fredericton as well, but not at all in the Miramichi area. Peopled mostly by Ukrainian immigrants who had arrived within 15 or so years prior to February 2022, the Ukrainian Club of Moncton had been active for quite some time, providing its members with opportunities to socialize and celebrate different aspects of Ukrainian culture throughout the year. However, its reach did not extend far beyond the boundaries of Greater Moncton and certainly not as far as the Miramichi area.
Everything changed in the wake of the invasion, not only in Moncton, but throughout New Brunswick (and, indeed, throughout much of the Western world). The Ukrainian Club of Moncton shifted to complete war-response mode after the invasion, doing everything it could, both to publicize the situation and to do what needed to be done to welcome people who were fleeing Ukraine, with many coming to Canada on a special temporary visitor status program known as the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET).
Miramichi area support for Ukrainians takes root
However, Moncton was not alone in this regard. Support groups formed throughout the province, and the Miramichi area was no exception. It started with a meeting at the local Knights of Columbus hall and it was not very long before people, organizations, and businesses were offering to help in whatever way they could. This involved the Anglophone North School District, the Miramichi Regional Multicultural Association, local service clubs, the organizers of the Miramichi Folksong Festival, among many others. Some businesses stepped up, offering to hire Ukrainian newcomers for positions in which there was a fit and, of course, many individuals plunged right in to help as well.
At that first community meeting, it was particularly heartening to see how one couple in St Margarets with a spacious home had already initiated contact with a family of seven from Ukraine, a family of a size that would not necessarily have made it easy to secure appropriate accommodations. This was only one example of the generosity of spirit that shone from every corner of the K of C hall that evening.
Formation of the "Miramichi Supports Ukraine" group and the first group of arrivals
With the help of people from the Ukrainian Club of Moncton, that meeting eventually led to the formation of the community group Miramichi Supports Ukraine. Notwithstanding the growing pains that are inherent in forming any new organization, there was now an official group in place that could assist newcomers with many aspects of settlement, including finding housing, obtaining furniture, buying a vehicle if necessary, and guiding them through the maze of initial documentation that is required for life in a new country.
On June 7, 2022, a plane that the Government of New Brunswick chartered arrived at the Moncton airport, full of Ukrainians with understandably bittersweet feelings, ready to start their new journey in a foreign land. That plane included a handful of Ukrainians bound for the Miramichi area, including the family of seven described above. Although I was born in Canada, I have the good fortune of still being able to speak, read, and write Ukrainian (albeit imperfectly), which helped some of the newcomers feel at ease that day. As it turned out, this would prove to be useful in drawing more Ukrainian newcomers to Miramichi in relatively short order.
Promoting the Miramichi area
Most people in Ukraine are certainly aware of Canada (who has been as helpful as a country with our limitations can be in terms of helping Ukraine in the face of the invasion), but most would not have been able to name more than Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver – maybe Edmonton or Winnipeg, too – as potential destinations for those choosing to flee the ravages of war. The question then became: how do we entice more of them to consider New Brunswick – specifically the Miramichi area, which would be off the beaten international path – as a potential destination? Word of mouth would do some of that, but the issue required a more broadly-based approach.
As it turns out, the Ukrainian community in Moncton has in its midst a master videographer named Serhiy Seniv (Video Pro Video). I suggested that Serhiy come with me to Miramichi and showcase the area so, in July 2022, Serhiy, his wife (who is an extremely dedicated and able community organizer in her own right), and his father-in-law joined me on my boat (named “Zelensky”) as we travelled up and down the Miramichi, filming the beauty all around us and talking about the quality of life there. We then chatted some more at the historic O’Donaghue’s Irish Pub. Afterwards, we went to visit some people around town (including the City of Miramichi’s Economic Development Officer and raconteur/musician extraordinaire, Paul McGraw) so that Serhiy could interview them and include them in the video as well.
Success beyond measure
Eventually, Serhiy compiled a video of our day in Miramichi, overdubbed in Ukrainian whatever parts were not already in that language, and distributed it to his channel’s many followers. The results of this effort did not take long to emerge and the video’s impact was staggering, to say the least. It is safe to say that, of the 150+ Ukrainian newcomers to the Miramichi area, the vast majority came because they saw that video. It is astonishing how many of the newcomers have come up to me and said, “I know you! We’re here because of that video!” New Brunswick as a whole and Miramichi in particular have become richer as a result and, when we welcome those fleeing from some future war in another country, we will now know how best to reach out.
It is difficult to say how many Ukrainians will stay in the long run, although I would be willing to bet that, as long as there is gainful employment and as long as their children become ever more settled into community life, more will choose to stay than not. Of course, this will depend on the duration of the war, the state of what they left behind, and the success of their Permanent Residency applications, to say nothing of overcoming some of the challenges that inevitably arise from such a major life upheaval. In the meantime, however, the Miramichi area, and New Brunswick as a whole, are the kind of welcoming home we always knew it was.
This article first appeared in the Telegraph Journal in February 2024 (subscriber only)
It’s so wonderful to read about some good in the world. Love the video, I can see why it drew people to want to come to the area. Thank you Jerry for being such an amazing person!
Takes one to know one, Lana. Thank you for your kind words – can’t wait to see you this summer!