The Ukrainian diaspora of Prince George will hold a commemorative ceremony to mark the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.
It will be held at 6 pm on Thursday, Feb. 23, at City Hall. This time corresponds with the start of the invasion, at 4 am Kyiv time on Feb. 24, 2022.
The invasion resulted in the largest influx of refugees since World War II, with 8 million Ukrainians forced to flee their homes.
The number of victims of this war cannot be counted in war conditions, but it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives
The commemorative ceremony will begin with a lighting of memory candlelight ceremony at 6 p.m., followed by a moment of silence at 6:02 p.m. for those who have died. The Ukrainian national anthem will be sung at 6:03 p.m. and speeches will begin at 6:05 p.m. The event will conclude at 6:20 p.m.
Invited guests include the Mayor of Prince George, City Council members, Members of Parliament, Chief of Forest Nations, PG Sharehope, Prince George for Ukraine and all volunteers, all supporters, community of PG, reporters, and the Ukrainian national community of Prince George.
Since the start of the invasion Prince George for Ukraine and Share Hope has helped to settle 192 displaced Ukrainians across our region.
Currently there are163 displaced Ukrainians who remain in Prince George. However, these are the people the organizations are aware of, and there may be more in the community who have not reached out to either Prince George for Ukraine or Share Hope.
The organizations are currently in dialogue with more than 79 people who have indicated they are interested in coming and are in various states of readiness with documents and flights. There 31 people who arrived in December, another 5 in January, and so far 21 in February.
The event on Thursday promises to be a solemn occasion, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own candles to light in memory of the victims of the invasion.
The Ukrainian community of Prince George invites everyone to join them in commemorating this solemn occasion.
