Field of dreams: Quinn Farm offers jobs and support to Ukrainians fleeing the war
Almost all year long, Quinn Farm in Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot welcomes families from across Quebec to sample produce from its apple orchards, pumpkin patches and market.
Now the owners are opening their doors to new kinds of visitors on a more permanent basis – Ukrainians who have fled the war.
One new employee, Yaroslav Zahoruyko, is already on the job, having left Ukraine a week before Russia invaded.
He's now living nearby with his daughter and is putting the work experience he acquired back in Ukraine to good use in the fields.
Ukrainian refugee Yaroslav Zahoruyko fled the war and is now working at Quinn Farm in Quebec (photo: Kelly Greig / CTV News Montreal)
"This is his second day of work, so it's all very new, and we're figuring it out," said the owner of Quinn farm, Stephanie Quinn.
The Quinns were happy they could help Zahoruyko find employment, and thanks to technology, they've managed to find common ground, despite the language barrier.
"We're slowly trying to figure out how to communicate; there's a lot of Google Translate," Quinn said.
"We're trying to learn words in Ukrainian and he's really insistent that it's for him to learn the words in English so he can understand."
Ukrainian refugee Yaroslav Zahoruyko with owner of Quinn farm, Stephanie Quinn. (photo: Kelly Greig / CTV News Montreal)
In many ways, the addition to the team is a win-win situation. Zahoruyko comes from a farming background, and the owners of Quinn farm have been finding it difficult to find employees with experience driving tractors.
And though their newest employee is looking forward to the end of the war so he can return home, Quinn Farm is offering him a safe haven for now.
"It is hard being away from Ukraine," Zahoruyko said. "We want to be at home. However, the war situation is making this necessary and we have to accept it."
Welcoming the new workers also allows the local farmers to feel as though they are helping in a meaningful way, and are living up to their family history since Quinn's grandmother fled England during World War Two.
Canada has pledged to accept an unlimited number of Ukrainian refugees, and the Quinns are preparing to receive a family at the end of June.
They've also helped find hosts for nine other families and are trying to find the additional resources they'll require.
"We're looking to hire someone for daycare because we all know there are waiting lists for daycare, and so to be able to get a job right away is difficult, especially when they don't have child care," Quinn said.
Zahoruyko doesn't know how long he'll be working here but said he's overwhelmed by the support he's gotten thus far.
"Working for the family that hosts us is very pleasant and nice. We get treated like normal people. Canada is a very welcoming country," he said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
AstraZeneca says it will withdraw COVID-19 vaccine globally as demand dips
AstraZeneca said on Tuesday it had initiated the worldwide withdrawal of its COVID-19 vaccine due to a 'surplus of available updated vaccines' since the pandemic.
WATCH LIVE 'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Toronto police seek suspect vehicle after security guard shot outside Drake's mansion
Toronto police are seeking help from the public as they continue to investigate a shooting that seriously injured a security guard outside rapper Drake's mansion.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Seafood, eat food: Calgary Stampede releases Midway menu
The Calgary Stampede has released its menu of sweet, salty and spicy treats available on the Midway for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
World's record-breaking hot temperature streak stretches through April
The world just experienced its hottest April on record, extending an 11-month streak in which every month set a temperature record, the European Union's climate change monitoring service said on Wednesday.