Wedding bells ring for Ukrainian, Nova Scotian who volunteer together at non-profit

Nick Fisher and Natalia Ivchenko, husband and wife to be, pictured on June 23, 2023 at the Ukrainian Store where they both volunteer. (CTV Atlantic/Heidi Pretracek).

Getting married in Canada after fleeing the war in Ukraine is something Natalia Ivchenko never could have imagined.

“If someone told me, that I will be in Canada, will be marrying a Canadian, and I will be driving a car, I would be like, ‘I can believe Canada, but the rest, no!’” she says with a laugh.

But so much has happened since Russia’s attack on Ukraine in February last year — a war that still drags on.

Like many from Ukraine, Ivchenko fled to Canada. She and her parents, who had been separated during their exodus, reunited in Halifax.

Ivchenko started volunteering at The Ukrainian Store — a place that provides donated clothing, furniture, and household supplies to new arrivals still coming here from Ukraine.

The future groom, Nick Fisher, says upon meeting Ivchenko he was struck by resilience.

“Her ability to overcome everything, and just still continue being positive, “ he says, “I mean she's beautiful (and) smart.”

The pair met through a dating app and went to Point Pleasant Park for their first date.

After that, Ivchenko brought him to The Ukrainian Store — and they started volunteering together.

“We have a lot of big furniture, and he has a big truck, so he started delivering and carrying things right away,” she says.

“And it was really humbling to see everybody contributing, and to everybody that's donated, it's amazing,” says Fisher.

Nick Fisher and Natalia Ivchenko will wed Saturday at the home of Rick Langille, founder of The Ukrainian Store. Pictured is Langille's backyard on June 23, 2023. (CTV Atlantic/Heidi Petracek).

The couple will tie the knot Saturday at the home of the founder of The Ukrainian Store, Rick Langille.

Friday, Langille and his wife were hard at work getting their yard ready, mowing the lawn, and arranging chairs for about 40 wedding guests.

It’s a casual affair, with guests set to bring lots of Ukrainian food and Langille will be manning the BBQ.

“I think for her it's come full circle,” Langille says of Ivchenko, “she's happy, she's working, and she's in love.”

“It’s wonderful, it’s an extension of what we started,” he says.

“We started with handing out mattresses, and it’s evolved to be so much more, creating community for Ukrainians who have left the war.”

Ivchenko’s mother and grandmother will be at the ceremony, but her father will be missed.

Last fall, 63-year-old Serhii Ivchenko died after an accidental fall in their new Halifax home.

But he met the future groom before he passed.

“My parents met Nick at the store,” Ivchenko says, “and they liked him right away, they were able to find common language without having one.”

“Dad really enjoyed him, and he is happy,” she adds.

The couple also have plenty of Ukrainian friends who will be in attendance Saturday.

Olga Malyk, a fellow volunteer, is the maid of honour.

“Natalia is my first best friend in Canada,” she exclaims, “and I am very happy.”

Tetiana Dovhopola and Yulia Lokutsovska share that enthusiasm.

“When I first saw them,” says Lokutsovska in Ukrainian, “I knew that they would be husband and wife.”

“It’s amazing,” she says.

“We are happy,” Dovhopola adds.

“We are now (a) Ukrainian-Canadian family,” says Ivchenko.

And Fisher is working on his Ukrainian language skills. “Slava Ukraini!” he says.