Newcomers were lined up outside on a chilly Saskatoon morning, waiting to get in to the job fair at Prairieland Park today (Wed) with about a hundred employers, agencies and community representatives there to greet them.

Alex Murado is from Ukraine and just arrived in Saskatoon with his wife and two year old son. He is hoping to find work as a meat processor. Through a translator, Murado said he witnessed violence in Ukraine, but he doesn’t like to think about it because it was horrible. In his own voice, he said, “I see very many bad situations.” Murado says he doesn’t have a problem with Saskatchewan winters. He jokes that in his job, he is used to being in or near refrigerators.

Blair’s Crop Solutions is looking for four workers. Spokesperson Penny Maser says Blair’s helps farmers and ranchers to be more sustainable. She is hoping to find people who are open to working in a small town because they have had a challenge finding workers for their rural locations. Maser believes there is nothing like the lifestyle of a small town, and hopes that will be a selling point.