Solidarity, prayers, and donations: British Columbians continue to show support for Ukraine

Athletes at B.C. Place carried Ukrainian flags, people rallied across the province, and others made donations over the weekend to support Ukraine as it faces ongoing attacks by Russia.

Displays of solidarity on both Saturday and Sunday are the most recent examples of how people in British Columbia are trying to provide aid and support for people in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24.

More than 229,000 British Columbians have Ukrainian ancestry, according to the 2016 census, making up five per cent of the province's population, more than the Canadian average. About 130,000 people in the province have Russian ancestry.

This weekend, Russian troops continued to shell Ukrainian cities and the number of people forced from the country grew to 1.4 million.

At B.C. Place in Vancouver on Saturday, a player each from the Vancouver Whitecaps and New York City FC carried a Ukrainian flag onto the pitch as part of a pre-game ceremony showing support for the embattled country, while people in the crowd also displayed pro-Ukrainian banners.

'They are taking strength'

In Richmond on Saturday, hundreds of people gathered at City Hall to listen to speeches, wave Ukrainian flags and call for an end to the fighting in Ukraine.

Eugene Lupynis with the Ukrainian Community Society of Ivan Franko in Richmond said ongoing rallies like this across B.C. are making a difference.

"The majority of Ukrainians in Canada have family back in Ukraine and what we've noticed and through conversations with our families, they are seeing videos and pictures on social media of rallies globally and they are taking strength from these rallies and knowing that the world is with them in this fight."

Other similar rallies in Vancouver and Victoria took place over the weekend.

In Victoria, Iryna Kaplun was joined by her parents Nadia and Roman, who said they were only recently able to travel out of Western Ukraine to Canada.

"It's an awful mix of happiness — to be here safe — and guilt and pain, killing pain about the people in Ukraine," said Iryna Kaplun.

Speaking through a translator, Nadia Kaplun said it was a huge relief to be in Canada, but she is deeply disturbed by the war going on in her homeland.

"I'm so devastated and in so much pain for the people that are still there," she said through tears.

Power of prayer

Several orthodox Christian churches in B.C. have been collecting donations and sending humanitarian aid, even military supplies to Ukraine.

Father Roman Tsaplan, a priest at Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox in Vancouver, said daily services are also giving people an opportunity to pray for people in Ukraine.

"This is a difficult time. We try to help them as much as possible," he said. "We strongly believe that God will hear our prayers and will stop this nightmare that is going on over there."

Over the weekend, the church also sold Ukrainian food such as sausage rings and borscht to raise funds for the Canadian Red Cross, Maple Hope Foundation and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

Michelle Petrusevich, a member of the church and a first generation Canadian of Ukrainian descent, said the response from people in B.C. has been overwhelming.

"People are understanding that it's not just about Russia and Ukraine. It's about freedom."

She also said that the conflict is very difficult for people with ties to the region and loved ones still in their countries of origin.

"A lot of us have mixed backgrounds. There's families that are from former Soviet Union countries, it's all mixed up and so people are heartbroken. Support those people."