SASKATCHEWAN POLYTECHNIC
Ukrainian students find new paths forward at Saskatchewan Polytechnic

Saskatchewan and Ukraine's connection is long and strong, with significant early agricultural recruitment explaining the Ukrainian heritage of many Saskatchewan families. More recent government efforts are helping Ukrainians seeking refuge during the current war. Saskatchewan Polytechnic is assisting through direct support to eligible students from Ukraine who wish to study in Canada until it is safe to return home.

Yevhenii Baklanov has just finished his first year at Sask Polytech's Power Engineering Technology program at Saskatoon campus, far from his parents in central Ukraine. He arrived in Canada a few months after the Russian invasion in 2022 through the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel program. Baklanov went to live with his godmother, a physics teacher in the remote northern community of Sandy Bay, Saskatchewan.

"Sandy Bay is very accepting and a nice community with beautiful nature surrounding it," says Baklanov. "I made lots of friends who taught me about their way of life in the north."

The young student, who was 16 when he arrived, finished the last month of his Ukrainian high school studies online then enrolled in grade 12 at Hector Thiboutot Community School the following September. "I had a decent understanding of written English," he says, "but I had to quickly learn how to understand and speak it better once I was in Canada."

While completing his Canadian high school diploma, Baklanov and his classmates had the opportunity to visit the Queen Elizabeth Power Station outside Saskatoon on a school trip. Baklanov was fascinated by the facility and its machinery. "I wanted to know how to use it," he remembers. "That trip and seeing a power plant from the inside was what made me look for a program to train for a career in power engineering."

Baklanov worked for nine months at a hydro-electric station near Sandy Bay as a labourer and began planning his future.

Another Ukrainian immigrant, Ievgen Pirogov, was instrumental in helping Baklanov put his plans into action. Pirogov is an international student advisor at Moose Jaw campus and the designated support person to assists Ukrainian residents arriving under the emergency travel program. "In this capacity I help students navigate the application process," he says, "assessing their eligibility and providing information to help them understand available supports."

These supports include a dedicated admission process, domestic tuition for eligible Ukrainian applicants, and living-cost bursaries through the Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship. Pirogov explains that many of the students he assists through the initiative haven't had time to plan their move or save money for international tuition.

"Some come from occupied territories, arriving with nothing," he says. "It's fulfilling to help these students. They have many questions so giving them an overview of the system here is helpful. We are able to enrol students to full-time programs, which is what Yevhenii is doing, or to part-time studies or other streams such those offered by continuing education."

Once Baklanov was admitted he quickly got his studies underway and has had a successful first year. "It's been great!" he says with a big smile. "The learning here is very hands on with a power lab that allows us to operate machinery."

Power Engineering students also do two work terms, satisfying the hours required for TSASK, the technical authority that governs power engineering in the province. "I got to do my first work term at the Poplar River Power Station near Coronach, which was very a good experience for me as I hadn't been in a coal power plant before," says Baklanov. "I'm looking forward to the next work term."

Baklanov speaks highly of all his instructors but names Scott Lansford as a favourite. "He is a very good man, very friendly" he says. "He teaches well but also feels like one of us, not just an instructor." Lansford describes Baklanov as highly curious, noting that he is always excited to dive deeper into what they are learning. "You can always count on Yevhenii to ask questions during class and generate discussions amongst his peers and instructors, even after class," he says.

Thinking ahead to his second year and beyond, Baklanov says he hopes to return to the Poplar River Power Station and can see himself working there in future, ideally as the operator of a section. "The goal is to learn a section and move on, section by section, so that you learn the whole plant and can work as a main controller," he explains.

Baklanov has a clear vision for his own path forward but doesn't know yet when he'll see his family again. It has been three years since saying goodbye to his parents. "Thankfully, they are in a relatively safe area of Ukraine and we have the technology to visit over video calls," he says.

Pirogov expects CUAET program funding to continue this coming year. "It's heartwarming to see a student such as Yevhenii come from a place of turmoil and help him access education in Canada," he says. He has helped 19 students navigate their path to post-secondary education at Sask Polytech since the emergency program launched. Learn more about Sask Polytech supports for Ukrainian students.