Ukrainian flag raised at Prince George City Hall

A blue and yellow symbol of hope was raised at city hall on Tuesday, brightly coloured against the grey Prince George sky.

Father Andrii Chornenkyii of the Ukrainian St. George’s Catholic Church raised the Ukrainian flag at Prince George City Hall on Tuesday morning, while members of the local Ukrainian-Canadian community sang the Ukrainian national anthem, Shche ne vmerla Ukraina.

“Maybe it is a very small thing, but it is very meaningful,” Chornenkyii said. “For us it is a comfort to know the city and people of Prince George are with us.”

Chorenkyii said he knows many Ukrainians are trapped in bomb shelters and refugee camps, scrolling on their phones looking for hope and comfort. If at least one Ukrainian soldier on the frontlines sees photos of the Ukrainian flag flying over Prince George and takes courage, knowing that people hundreds of miles away are behind them, then it will have achieved something, he said.

Instead of starting his day with prayer, Chornkyii said he now starts his day checking his phone, looking to see if his hometown is being bombed and if his parents are alright.

“It makes me feel very helpless. I cannot help a lot in Ukraine, because I am here,” he said. “(But) at least I can do something. I can speak the truth.”

Mayor Lyn Hall, flanked by members of city council, said the flag raising “depicts our thoughts and our prayers for the people of Ukraine.”

Members of the University Hospital of Northern B.C Traditional Drummers ended the flag raising by performing a song in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.