HALIFAX STANFIELD: A small, but hearty bunch of HEART Society volunteers and community residents, including the local MLA, ventured out to Halifax Stanfield Airport late on Monday night to welcome their newest residents.
After almost 24 hours of flying, the relief to finally have arrived in Canada and to be headed to their host families home was evident on the Oluwamogbiele’s (Bukunmi Damilola, who was being called Dami and his wife Mariia) after they had walked through the arrival doors at HSIA with their two children.
One child was being carried by Mariia while the other was looking at all the new, strange faces and big lights from the comforts of a stroller.
VIDEO: Here is our video story with interviews. Edited/shot by: Dagley Media.
As they came through the gate doors, their host family Vanessa and Steve Powell welcomed them, giving them all big hugs, with another supporter nearby holding a Ukraine flag. Also there to welcome them was Leno Ribahi.
After arriving, they were helped to gather their luggage by The Laker News’ own Pat Healey and then got a new bag as one of theirs was broken upon receiving it.
After that was all done, and quick few words were said in answering questions from The Laker News in our video interview, it was time to head to the parking lot.
While Dami and Mariia focused on the kids, Hants East MLA John A. MacDonald grabbed the luggage cart and pushed it out and into the parking lot where it was loaded into a couple of the four or five vehicles that were there.
The fresh April air outside HSIA breathed a fresh new start for the family who had left a country in peril because of the Russian invasion into Ukraine, and one of more promise thanks to Canada’s open and helping arms.
