Left to right: Vernon mayor Victor Cumming; Andrea Malysh, Sadok Ukrainian Dance Ensemble; MP Mel Arnold; MLA Sandhu representative Charlene Heidt; Vernon councillors Kelly Fehr, Scott Anderson and Teresa Durning. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Fehr)

By Pete McIntyre

More than 100 newcomers

New arrivals from Ukraine welcomed to Vernon

Aug 23, 2022 | 6:00 AM

More than 100 newcomers from Ukraine and their hosts have been officially welcomed to Vernon.

The local Sadok Ukrainian Dance Ensemble hosted a barbeque for the war refugees on Sunday (Aug. 21) at Kin Beach Park.

Also in attendance for the event was MP Mel Arnold, MLA Harwinder Sandhu’s representative Charlene Heidt, Vernon mayor Victor Cumming and Vernon councillors Scott Anderson, Kelly Fehr and Teresa Durning.

The event also celebrated Ukraine’s 31st Independence Day that was adopted by the country on Aug. 24, 1991.

That’s when the Parliament of Ukraine formally declared an independent and democratic Ukrainian state, establishing the territorial integrity of Ukraine as sovereign and inviolable, further upheld by an overwhelming majority of Ukrainians in a national referendum in December of that same year.

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For centuries, the people of Ukraine struggled to achieve an independent state, all the while preserving their culture, language, and self-identity.

“Since our families arrived from Ukraine over 100 years ago, Ukrainian Canadians continue to make significant contributions to the cultural fabric of Canada while embracing our rich history and heritage, with which we share values of freedom and democracy,” said Andrea Malysh, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Thompson Okanagan Branch (UCCTO).

Malysh said Canada is home to over 1.4 million people who identify with being Ukrainian. Canada is the largest diaspora [the dispersion of people from their original homeland] outside of Ukraine.

“The Ukrainian Canadian Congress represents our communities, most recently with the war in Ukraine with humanitarian aid,” Malysh stated. “The Sadok Ukrainian Dance Ensemble has raised over $25,000 for the Canada-Ukraine Foundation.”

The #SadokUkrainianDanceEnsemble hosted a welcome dinner at Kin Beack Park. It was an honour to participate and provide support to the numerous families here from Ukraine. Thanks go out to the people of the area who have been so welcoming to the newcomers.#slavaukraini pic.twitter.com/rnE7eL9niX

— Mel Arnold MP (@MelArnoldMP) August 22, 2022

Malysh has been working with both the British Columbia government and Ukrainian Canadian Congress National with weekly meetings since the war broke out on February 24 in an effort to create the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel program for newcomers along with all other affiliates including United Way, Red Cross and local settlement agencies.

“That without the assistance of both the federal and provincial governments, there would be no support to bring Ukrainians fleeing the war to Canada,” Malysh remarked.

Malysh thanked Kseniia Rudenko for providing Ukrainian translation of all the speeches for the newcomers, and also thanked the Sadok families and friends for their assistance in serving dinner.

“A special thank you to Sadok president, Katie Porteous, Kevin Porteous and Scott Chatterton. Thank you to our supporters: City of Vernon, Safeway, Buy-Low Foods, Vernon Wholesale Club, VegPro and Back to Earth.