Community comes together to collect supplies for Ukraine

A 2016 census reported that the town of Oakville is home to 836 people with Ukrainian heritage. It seems like that number has surely grown as the community is turning out to help those under siege.

Father Michael Loza says when war struck the community sprung into action. Boxes filled with clothes, toiletries, first aid, and nonperishables are being stacked at St. Joseph’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Oakville. Father Michael says, “We can sit at home and watch what’s happening and be depressed about it or we can get out of the house and come and do something and make some effort to make a difference for them.” Despite the donation window shutting today, the church was forced to rent out two truck trailers for overflow.

Alexander Shapoval, who moved to Canada from Ukraine 11 years ago, couldn’t see himself doing anything else. Shapoval says his sister and cousins are all sheltering in bunkers as the fighting continues above. It seems that almost everyone has a connection to the war.

Katherine Vellinga is a first-generation Canadian Ukrainian whose family has experienced this type of bloodshed before. “My grandparents were survivors of Stalin’s genocide against the Ukrainian people they were survivors of World War II they were all captured and they were taken by Germans to work and forced labor camps and my parents came here as teenagers.” Katherine and her husband lived in Kyiv for 5 years in the 90’s but always went back, especially during the 2013 revolution. Katherine says, “in 2013 the Ukrainian people rose up in the revolution of dignity and they overthrew an authoritarian president and they have spoken very firmly and shown that they want a free and independent democratic Ukraine to see a full-scale invasion of Ukraine has just been devastating.” She’s also the owner of Zirkova Vodka which is made in Ukraine. She says all sales proceeds will go towards helping Ukraine cope.

When it comes to sponsoring family or friends to bring to Canada, so far, Vellinga says no one has asked for help getting out of Europe. As for the church, they are in the preliminary stages but are waiting for the federal government’s plan on how to bring loved ones here.