A policeman from the Sûreté du Québec who felt the need to do his part in the war between Russia and Ukraine decided to take in refugees whom he now considers to be members of his own family.
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“When I saw what was happening, I knew I had to act. I would have liked the same thing to be done for me, ”says agent Dominic Tanguay with a smile.
Earlier this year, the 41-year-old faced two cancellations from people who were to rent the apartment he built in his basement, in Saint-Antoine-de-Tilly.
A situation that he was quick to consider as a sign, when the war in Ukraine broke out shortly afterwards. Mr. Tanguay then tried to get in touch with families who were trying to leave the country, on social networks.
It was then that he came across Andrii and Karyna Martyniuk, who had managed to get to Poland with their little girl Sophia and who had been throwing poles to find a job in Canada.
Trust to be earned
“At first, we didn’t trust him. We had seen films where murderers pretended to be police officers, ”explains laughing Mr. Martyniuk, who is currently learning French.
Over the weeks, trust was built between the two men and Mr. Tanguay managed to bring the Ukrainian family to the country, before hosting them for free at his home since June.
“It’s as if I had enlarged my own family. There are really ties that have been forged, ”says the police officer who accompanies the couple in the endless steps they must take to start their life over in Quebec.