ATHABASCA — How would you like to have some authentic Ukrainian food to eat for the holidays?
It is partly a gift back to the generous Canadians who have accepted them in and partly a way to earn some money waiting to find full time employment for husband-and-wife Mykola Munchuk and Lilia Zuboza.
Munchuk and Zuboza arrived in Athabasca Nov. 1 following their daughter Tetiana Munchuk and her daughter Sasha who completed their journey Oct. 13.
“They’re from Eastern Ukraine,” said friend and translator Lesia Popowich Dec. 11. “That’s where all the shelling is happening. They have nothing to go back to.”
Lilia was a hairdresser in Ukraine assisted helped her husband Mykola in various agricultural pursuits from raising snails and pigs to transporting milk.
“They all have their work permit, they're allowed to work, but yes, everything that they were certified to do in Ukraine, nothing transfers,” said Popowich.
So, in the meantime, the family is making some delicious food to sell from nalysnyky, which are cheese crepes filled with cottage cheese and dill, to potato and cheddar, cottage cheese, or sauerkraut perogies, blueberry perogies, sweet or sour cabbage rolls with your choice of rice, bacon, and onion or rice, ground pork, and onion to pedishke, a Ukrainian donut with cheese filling.
And the prices are reasonable too — $10 for 20 nalsnyky; perogies are $8 per dozen, the blueberry perogies are $10 a dozen, and the same for the cabbage rolls, and the pedishke are $8 for six.
Like other Ukrainians who have relocated to the area, they are hoping to find employment to help make a new life for themselves in Canada, despite some of the early challenges.
“We’ve got quite a few doctors from Ukraine. There’s two of them living in Athabasca but their qualifications mean nothing here,” said Popowich. “We’ve got two Ukrainian people working in (a) pharmacy and they’re actually scientists.”
And while they aren’t permanent residents yet, they can’t even teach at Athabasca University.
“There's a few things here at Athabasca U that would have worked out well but ... the biggest stickler is 'Are you a permanent resident? Are you a Canadian citizen?’,” she said. “No means no and then you're off the list again and yet you're qualified to do the position, but because you don't have that status.”
And since the $3,000 per adult and $1,500 per youth provided by the Alberta Government doesn’t go that far, so they've decided to offer an authentic feast.
The payment is cash only and orders can be made by calling 780-904-4594 and arrangements will be made to meet in a central location like the Riverfront Park parking lot.
