February 2024
An enthusiastic crowd gathered at the Bradford Leisure Centre to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and to express their continued support for the Ukrainian people.
Hosted by the Ukrainian Community of Bradford, dignitaries included Member of Parliament for York-Simcoe Scot Davidson, Bradford West Gwillimbury Mayor Mayor James Leduc and members of the Town council, who shared messages of support from their respective offices.
It should be noted that many of the Ukrainian families in the Bradford West Gwillimbury area are decedents of immigrants who toiled as farm workers in the nearby Holland Marsh, reclaimed marshland that has become one of Ontario’s most important agricultural areas.
Some of those immigrants included the parents and grandparents of Bradford Councillor Peter Dykie.
With the war at a stalemate, support is wavering amongst some allies, so rallies like this one across Simcoe County and across friendly nations are becoming more and more important. If Ukraine loses this war against Russia, the rest of the world is next. Oksana Kobzar of the Ukrainian Community of Bradford, who immigrated to Canada from Ukraine, expressed this in her remarks.
“We’ve been wanting support for Ukraine; we need to win this war because if we don’t win this war, Putin will never stop,” said Kobzar.
One very special speaker was Igor Kontsur, a 15-year-old who escaped the war in Ukraine and now lives in Bradford.
“I feel all the support, and I’m happy that Canada feels our pain, and we just want to go back home,” said Kontsur.
So far, no Canadian soldiers are needed on the battlefield. The Ukrainian military is willing to do all the hard work; they just need our moral support and weapons, and they will do the rest.
A similar support rally was held at Barrie city hall, with Barrie Mayor Alex Nuttal raising a Ukrainian flag in the City Hall courtyard, accompanied by Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte Member of Parliament (MP) Doug Shiple, Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte Member of Provincial Parliament Doug Downey and Barrie-Innisfil MP John Brassard.
Slava Ukraini!
Sources: https://barrie.ctvnews.ca/ukrainian-flags-raised-in-simcoe-county-to-mark-2-years-since-russian-invasion-1.6782537, ‘Slava Ukraini!’ Bradford community gathers in support of Ukraine (11 photos) – Newmarket News (newmarkettoday.ca), Holland Marsh – Wikipedia.
