Father Andrii Chornenkyii of the Ukrainian St. George’s Catholic Church appeared before city council on Monday night with two simple requests on behalf of the people of his homeland.
The first was, “If you can help, please help.” The second, regardless of your denomination or faith, pray for the safety of the people struggling to survive and retain their freedom.
“Today my country, my nation, has been crucified in front of the world,” Chornenkyii said. “It is truly becoming a genocide in my country. Many people have been displaced. Many children are orphans, because their fathers have been killed.”
Chornenkyii said Ukraine’s suffering at the hands of Russian forces began eight years ago, when Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula and the world stood by and did nothing.
He said he’s a priest, not a military man, and “bullets and missiles” are not normally things he speaks about. But more than 400,000 people have already been forced to flee and roughly 500 Ukrainian civilians, including 50 children, have been killed since Russian forces invaded the country.
The City of Prince George will be raising the Ukrainian flag at city hall on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.
“The raising of the flag will not stop the war,” Chornenkyii said, but it does let people know “their suffering is heard, their struggling for freedom is heard” around the world.
“I want to thank the people of Prince George for the kindness they have shown us,” he added, saying that people have been bringing flowers and gifts to the church daily.
Coun. Garth Frizzell brought forward a motion to donate $1,000 from city council’s contingency fund to the Canadian Red Cross’s Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal. The federal government has matched the first $10 million donated by Canadians to the effort.
Coun. Kyle Sampson urged Prince George residents who have the means to make their own donations as well.
“It is horrific, what is happening in Ukraine,” he said.
In addition, Frizzell brought forward a motion for the city to exclude Russian suppliers from bidding on any city contracts. Both motions were approved unanimously.
Frizzell said he had a chance to visit Ukraine in 2017, as part of an outreach by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to support community development and democratic processes in Ukrainian cities.
“Those cities we worked with in Ukraine had a hunger for democracy,” he said. “Thinking back to people we meet and what they are doing tonight… it is hard to know what to do to help.”
Coun. Frank Everitt said that growing up close to a Ukrainian-Canadian community, he learned that Ukrainian people love dance and song and good food.
“When I look at what is happening, I know there will be no dancing, no music and no food for many. It is hard to watch that,” he said. “Anything else we can do as a community, we will do.”
Coun. Brian Skakun asked the city to write a letter of support for the decision by the World Curling Federation to bar Russia from participating in the Women’s Curling Championship, happening March 19-27 in Prince George.
“I think it will take a lot of pressure of other countries to boycott (the event or playing against) Russia,” he said.
Skakun, whose father is Ukrainian-Canadian, said “it is a small message,” but hopefully enough small messages will send a large message to Russia’s government.
“There is not a community in Canada that is not touched by this,” Mayor Lyn Hall said. “We’re doing this to lend our support. The collective effort is going to be a huge, huge effort.”
Hall said he never imagined in 2022 the world would be gripped by a major war.
“The world is changing for many ways and reasons.”
Coun. Terri McConnachie said she can’t imagine what it must be like for the families who have been forced to flee their homes.
“It’s a reminder to never take our democracy for granted,” she said.
McConnachie said she normally doesn’t pray, but “I pray that Ukraine will dance again soon.”
Coun. Susan Scott said she is praying and grieving for those in Ukraine, but also the Russian-Canadians who may face a backlash for an invasion they have nothing to do with.
“The horror is not lost on any of us here.”
