It has been more than 25 years since a conservative held the riding of Kingston and the Islands, but one local man is looking to change that.
Ruslan Yakoviychuk is a Kingston businessman and has been part of the community for 13 years after he immigrated to Canada.
Yakoviychuk was born and raised in the Ukraine, and while growing up, he said, he dreamed to one day be a Canadian citizen. His grandfather spent time in Canada, and would tell the family stories of his time spent in the country.
Yakoviychuk made his dream a reality in 2005, when he emigrated to the Kingston area with his daughter and wife. Now, he says, he wants to give back to the country that provided his family with a better life.
“I ask myself, ‘What are you going to do?’ This country has been great for… my family, and I said to myself I believe that I have the full package to make changes in Canada,” said Yakoviychuk.
A few things Yakoviychuk wants to change is expanding Kingston infrastructure along with welcoming immigrants, but only if they follow immigration rules. On his website, it reads: “I’m concerned that Canada’s immigration policies have changed so drastically, allowing anyone who claims to be a refugee easy passage without proper background checks, and without the government having a proper plan for how these people will add to the social, cultural, and economic mosaic of our great nation.”
Yakoviychuk told Global News that he had to wait seven years to become a Canadian citizen and that he is a model immigrant. He continued by saying that he fully supports immigration because, being an owner of a construction company, he has seen a decrease in the number of skilled tradespeople.
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Having more legal immigrants who have experience in the field, he said, will allow for further development in Kingston and the surrounding areas.
Aside from politics, Yakoviychuk spends his free time composing music and writing songs in several different languages.
Yakoviychuk says that because he fluently speaks seven languages and has an eye for business, he will be a strong addition to the House of Commons and a benefit to the people of Kingston and the Islands.
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