Vinnytsia native Taras shares his first impressions of Canada and his work at an Albertan meat processing plant.

"ILC helps people to change their lives for the better and I wish as many people as possible would have such an opportunity. The people here are different. There is no aggression; no fear. You are free to talk to anybody and people will be happy to answer your questions regardless of any language barrier. Anyone that is looking for a better life should go to Canada. I feel like a new man here; everybody observes the rules and I think it is better for everyone ", says Taras.

 

Hi there! Everything with us is alright, the flight was relaxing and problem-free. Halyna Mohylova, a representative of my new employer, met us in Toronto and checked us into the Fairfield Hotel. We visited Niagara Falls before we flew to Edmonton. The employer's staff came to the airport to meet us. We then checked in at the very fine Red Deer Lodge hotel. They also helped us apply for our Social Insurance Numbers, Health Insurance cards, and bank accounts. It just so happened that we arrived in Canada on the eve of the so-called 'Black Friday' - a day when many shops offer good sales - so it was a matter of good-timing to open our bank accounts. The processing of the credit card, however, took some more time (nearly two weeks). It is very important to use it properly as it works toward your credit history which will impact your opportunity to take out a loan to buy a house or car, which may be of interest because the interest rates are much lower here than in Ukraine. In addition, your credit history is very important in obtaining your nominee status.

There are many Ukrainians here in Alberta and we often meet each other at work, in the city, or during our free time. Many of us attend church on Sundays and stay after the service to have a coffee and sandwich while we chat and exchange advice on living in Canada. People are very friendly here and if necessary can help you with different things like clothes, dishes, and all the rest.

Of course, the work here is not very easy; but as they say, 'The best place of all is where we haven't been at all.' You must work hard if you hope to change your life for the better. We have nice living conditions here. We live together six people in a house. There are three rooms, a fully furnished kitchen including a microwave we rarely use, a dining room, and two washrooms. We have a large, plasma TV with cable and internet. Life is good here; the town is beautiful and clean and there are many different shops with very good prices. For example, milk costs $4.50 for 4l; bread is $4.00 a loaf; 12 eggs for $2.00; $1.00 for 900g of pasta; $4.00 for 4kg of potatoes; and $2.50 for 2l of juice. Meat costs about the same as in Ukraine, but we can buy it at the meat processing plant at a discounted price.

ILC helps people to change their lives for the better and I wish as many people as possible would have such an opportunity. The people here are different. There is no aggression; no fear. You are free to talk to anybody and people will be happy to answer your questions regardless of any language barrier. Anyone that is looking for a better life should go to Canada. I feel like a new man here; everybody observes the rules and I think it is better for everyone. People don't even think about violating the rules. What for? If they do, they are ready to take responsibility and pay the penalties; it is just another mindset. I hope that we all will be able to receive Permanent Residence status soon and we'll be able to stay in Canada to make our lives better. If you have any questions, feel free to write me on the ILC page in VKontakte and I'll try to answer them for you. I recommend everyone who has experience in physically-demanding labour that has the desire to change his/her life for the better to give every possible effort to learn English and move to Canada.