'We can all help': Lévis, Que., couple offers furnished home to Ukrainian refugees
CBC
A couple in Lévis, Que., is hoping to inspire other people to help Ukrainians get settled when they arrive in Canada.
André Fortin and Julie Suzanne Doyon are offering up a fully furnished home they own on Quebec City's south shore to Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.
"We want to show that our comfort can be shared," said Fortin.
Active in the real estate world for several years and well known in Lévis' business community, the couple said they want to give back in any way they can.
And with this gesture, the pair hopes to encourage other Quebecers to follow suit.
"It's not so much to talk about our personal initiative that we're doing this," said Doyon. "It's more to say, 'Hey, we can all help.'"
The ancestral house the couple wants to lend is located right near their main residence.
"It is beautiful. It is completely furnished. It has everything necessary to accommodate eight or 10 people," said Doyon.
However, the couple doesn't yet know whether their offer will be accepted by the City of Lévis.
"We offered our help to the municipality and we know that it was heard," said Doyon.
Fortin said he and his wife are open to welcoming these people "for several months," and they are also making space available in a vacant building so that aid organizations can store non-perishable food items for the Ukrainians.
Earlier this month, the Centre multiethnique de Québec community centre said that 150 Ukrainian refugees could arrive in Quebec City because of the conflict, and housing is one of the issues that must be resolved.
David Weiser, associate member of Quebec City's executive committee responsible for immigration, said his team has already begun to identify potential homes for refugees.
Lévis is not expected to host a large number of arrivals escaping the war, but local officials say there have been many offers to help out.
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