Looking over a crowd of more than 100 people who came out in a show of solidarity with Ukraine earlier today, Peter Bodnar described it as a neighbourly display.
“When we hear people honking and people calling saying, ‘We stand with you,’ that is support,” the St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church pastor said. “That is encouragement, and it’s very hard to go through life without good neighbours, and these people are good neighbours and that’s what community’s all about.”
This was the fourth such display in downtown Sudbury in recent weeks, and organizer Halia Buba said it’s indicative of strong local links between Ukraine and the Northern Ontario city.
“It’s very important in our Sudbury community for people to see and show their support for Ukraine, and it’s most important for our Ukrainians who back home get our messages of support as they fight this horrific war.”
Bodnar’s parents are from Ukraine, which was divided following the Second World War in such a manner that he was born in Poland, although he identifies as Ukrainian.
“It seems like in Europe the boundaries always change when there’s a super power, and Russia is a super power,” he said, adding that there’s a repeat of history going on right now.
Jaroslawa Peczeniuk, 95, knows all too well the horrific implications of foreign interference in Ukraine, having survived Holodomor – the starvation of millions of Ukrainians in 1932-33 as a result of Soviet policies.
She attended Saturday’s rally alongside her daughter, Sonia Peczeniuk, who spoke on her behalf.
“When she found out that Ukraine was invaded again, she shouldn’t believe it,” Sonia said, adding that her mother still has a 97-year-old sister in Ukraine who has armed herself with a handgun and pitchfork in the event Russians advance on her home.
Jaroslawa was taken out of a bread line and placed into forced labour as a kid, finally making her way to Canada at the age of 20. Her memories of the day are of being hungry and scared to be without her family.
“She can’t believe that this is a deja vu event – it’s happening again? Ukraine is a peaceful country, they just want to have normal lives,” Sonia said. “This has united them right across the spectrum.”
Sudbury Liberal MP Viviane Lapointe attended Saturday’s rally, as she has during past rallies, to show support and that “Canada stands united with Ukraine,” she said.
Lapointe told Sudbury.com that she has been meeting with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser on a weekly basis and that there’s a strong case for Ukrainians to come over to Greater Sudbury.
Canada has received more than 51,000 applications for Ukrainian refugees, and Lapointe said Greater Sudbury is a viable candidate for their new home.
“What he said is that the people of Ukraine want to come where they have family or they want to come in places where there is already a community,” she said, pointing to Greater Sudbury’s rich Ukrainian community as offering a positive welcoming for them.
“We can expect that there are some who might want to come to Sudbury.”
Lapointe has been working with local Ukrainian leaders and partners in the city to help facilitate their arrival.
In the meantime, Buba said that local advocates have various points of advocacy to continue chipping away at, including establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, stronger sanctions and embargoes on Russia, Ukraine inclusion in NATO and support for Ukraine in general.
An ecumenical Christian prayer service for Ukraine is scheduled to take place Sunday, April 10, at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church at 3:30 p.m.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
