Her story begins in March 1957.
A beautiful, blue-eyed baby girl was born to parents who, as young adults, emigrated from rural Ukraine to the multicultural city of Toronto in pursuit of a better life. For the first five years of her life, Hanya Kizemchuk spoke only Ukrainian. She eventually learned English in kindergarten, attending “Ukrainian school by night,” she recalls, where she studied the geography of the country, as well as the culture, language, and customs.
Her parents, who had only grade school educations, shared a strong work ethic. “We always had a clean home and great food,” she says—a theme she recognizes has carried throughout her life. A full-time butcher, her father was adept at fixing things in his spare time. Together, her parents built a thriving real estate business, expecting their children (Kizemchuk and her older brother) to help. One year, Kizemchuk was gifted a typewriter. “I soon found myself having to type up leases for their rental properties,” she chuckles.
Kizemchuk describes her
