Petro Stryiskyi still vividly remembers the day, five years ago when he decided to leave his country and his construction business behind for a chance at a better life for his family.

With more than 20 years of experience, he took a job as a tile setter and dreamed of the day his family would join him in Canada.

Then, in September 2021, Petro says the family was finally reunited, and it鈥檚 all thanks to the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot.

Immigrating to Canada as a skilled worker

After graduating from college in 2001, Petro worked for a construction company in Ukraine before starting his own interior renovation company.

Alongside his business partner and five employees, Petro鈥檚 crew became renowned for their craftsmanship and had a waitlist that reached several months into the future.

鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 only tile setting,鈥� Petro said.

鈥淲e did everything inside. Taping, painting, tiles, flooring, everything. Construction in Ukraine is very different from Canada. Usually, our customers wanted to find one company that could do everything inside.鈥�

One day, Petro says, his business partner hopped on a plane to visit a friend in the Okanagan.

鈥淎fter he returned, he told me that we had a chance to get to Canada. His friend was doing some big project downtown and was looking for some tile setters,鈥� Petro said.

鈥淔rom that moment, we both went back to school to start learning English.鈥�

RNIP helps bring the family together

In 2018, Petro arrived in the Okanagan with a work permit and started working with a local construction company. After 18 months in Canada, Petro knew he wanted to stay and bring his family.

But, with a looming expiration on his work visa and no clear path to extend his stay, he didn鈥檛 know how.

And then his employer heard about the RNIP program, and Petro had an ember of hope. In September 2021, shortly after he received his permanent residency, his wife, Kateryna Stryiska, and their two kids joined him, and the Okanagan immediately felt like home.

鈥淚 was born in Crimea and spent all my childhood there, but after the annexation, I couldn鈥檛 be there anymore,鈥� said Kateryna. 鈥淗ere, all the nature, it鈥檚 so close to Crimea. It reminds me of my childhood back home.鈥�

Setting roots in the Okanagan

Now living in Lake Country and running his own company STR Okanagan Taping, Petro keeps busy as a contractor and still does regular work for his former employer.

Their son will soon graduate from high school and has applied to university to study business and finance, while their daughter is settling into their new neighbourhood.

鈥淎t first, our son was a bit confused about what we were going to do here,鈥� said Petro.

鈥淣ow he understands the opportunity he has and says he doesn鈥檛 ever want to go back to Ukraine.鈥�

Kateryna smiles listening to her husband.

鈥淏ecause of this program, our family is now in a safe place, together,鈥� she said.