Bradford West Gwillimbury Mayor Rob Keffer, Coun. Jonathan Scott and York-Simcoe MPP Caroline Mulroney attended the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Archangel Michael on Sunday in Bradford to show their support for Ukraine amid the attacks from Vladimir Putin's Russian troops.
They attended the service and met with Father Petro Anhel, assuring him that the Bradford community stands with the Ukrainian people.
“The bonds between Ukraine and Ontario run deep," Mulroney said. "Across our province, including here in York-Simcoe, life would not be the same without the contributions of our strong Ukrainian community. Our government proudly stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine and we will continue to support the country and Ontarians of Ukrainian descent as best we can."
Canada was the first country to recognize an Independent Ukraine in 1991 under Mulroney's father, Brian Mulroney, who was prime minister at the time.
"Something we can all be proud of," said Keffer.
"Like countless other Canadian towns whose roots are in agriculture, Ukrainian-Canadians helped build Bradford West Gwillimbury," said Scott. "The bravery of President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people — ordinary people — reminds us here in Canada how sacred freedom and democracy truly are."
The majority of parishioners at the church have family in Ukraine, including Anhel, and all are very worried about what's happening.
"It's terrible. It's very, very terrible but we have no choice because Russia was taking over Ukraine many, many times, many centuries. We were thinking we're now independent but what is going on right now in Ukraine shows us, we're not independent," said Anhel.
His sister, who recently gave birth, and brother-in-law live 15 to 20 kilometres from an air base that was "bombarded" and they can hear it from their village, he said.
"They hear it, they see it."
Many parishioners have children and grandchildren in the armed forces or police forces fighting in Ukraine, while one parishioner, born in Ukraine and serving in the Canadian forces, is ready to go fight for Ukraine, Anhel said.
It was Anhel who informed his relatives that Russia had attacked. There was no information on Ukrainian news, he said, but he heard it on Russian news and immediately called his relatives.
They couldn't believe someone from Canada would know before them. Thirty minutes after he hung up, Anhel's relatives called him crying, saying "yes, we can hear it, we've been attacked," Anhel said.
He knew invasion was inevitable "after the Crimea" and that it was "just the beginning of something bigger," but Anhel said many Ukrainians were in denial that it would actually happen.
"They're still in denial."
Anhel said Ukraine seems to be doing well so far, but they can't do it alone.
He is extremely grateful to Canada for all the help it has provided in the form of military training and arms, but many Ukrainians feel NATO countries let them down by not entering Ukraine to help fight.
"Saying 'we're there to help you' is not going to help us actually."
On Saturday night, Keffer, York-Simcoe MP Scot Davidson, members of council and the Ukrainian community gathered for a flag raising and prayer ceremony at the Bradford Leisure Centre to show their support for Ukraine.
There are currently a number of ways to help Ukraine right now.
The Canada-Ukraine Foundation has launched an appeal for humanitarian relief to provide "assistance quickly and efficiently to those in need in Ukraine to address any further aggression by Russia."
The Ontario government announced it is donating $300,000 to the organization.
Save the Children Canada has also created a campaign seeking online donations in response to the Ukraine crisis. The organization provides disaster relief and emergency response for children around the world.
The Red Cross has also launched a Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal to support those affected by the conflict.
"Support will address immediate and ongoing relief efforts, long-term recovery, resiliency, and other critical humanitarian activities as needs arise, both in Ukraine and surrounding countries, including those who are displaced," they said online.
You can donate to the appeal online or by calling 1-800-418-1111.
According to reports from the Canadian Press, the federal government will be announcing a plan to match donations made by individual residents to the Canadian Red Cross to respond to the situation in Ukraine.
— With files from Michele Weisz and Elizabeth Keith
