A front window of the Ukrainian National Federation Sudbury building on Frood Road has been smashed in, leaving members of the Ukrainian community hurt and confused.
“It’s very distressing because we’re a very small volunteer group,” executive member Sonia Peczeniuk said of the incident. “This is expensive for us. We’re a volunteer group that’s struggling.”
Greater Sudbury Police Service received a report about the smashed window, which they are investigating as a “hate-bias incident,” at 10:05 p.m. on Tuesday. They are currently canvassing the area for video surveillance footage.
Although the Ukrainian National Federation building is insured, Peczeniuk said that between premium rates and deductibles, the smashed window will end up costing them something in the end.
It also remains to be seen whether this was a targeted attack or another case of random vandalization, such as what she said occurred a few years ago when intoxicated people caused some damage.
However, the window in question featured a sign that read “Stop Russian aggression,” and “Stand (with) Ukraine,” and it follows a series of pro-Russian vandalization incidents in recent weeks.
The letter “Z” has been found spray painted throughout the area, including on St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, which was reported to police during the morning of April 11 and believed to have occurred between 7:30 p.m. on April 8 and 8 a.m. the following morning.
This mark stands for ‘Za pobedu’ (for victory) and has become a symbol of support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Despite these incidents, Ukrainian Seniors Centre cultural director Halia Buba said the positivity from the community has far outweighed the negativity they’ve seen in recent weeks.
Buba has been a central figure in organizing a series of pro-Ukraine rallies on Notre Dame Avenue in downtown Sudbury, which she said will continue after a weekend focused on Ukrainian Easter festivities. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised locally to help those who have been affected by the war in Ukraine.
Despite these positives, the vandalism weighs heavily on the Ukrainian community, she said.
“It’s devastating, we’re very angry,” Buba said. “It’s cowardly, it’s disappointing, but it’s definitely not going to stop us from continuing to bring attention to the horrific war and genocide in Ukraine.”
The vandalization cases at the Ukrainian National Federation building and St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church are both currently under investigation as “hate-bias” incidents, Greater Sudbury Police Service confirmed via emailed correspondence today.
Anyone with information about any of these incidents, including suspicious people and/or vehicles in the area, is encouraged to contact city police at 705-675-9171 or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers at 705-222-TIPS (8477) or sudburycrimestoppers.com.
“We know that hate crimes and hate-bias incidents are extremely under-reported and we are working hard to change that,” a media spokesperson wrote on behalf of the department.
“The Greater Sudbury Police Service takes reports of hate-motivated crime and hate-bias incidents very seriously and we recognize the impact on and pain felt by community members when there is evidence of hatred. We want to assure you that we are committed to investigating these situations thoroughly.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
