Mundare Rallies for People of Ukraine

Mundare Rallies for People of Ukraine

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

A crowd gathered in front of the town office in Mundare late Sunday morning in support for the people of Ukraine.

Mundare resident Charlotte McKellar organized the rally with the support of the Town of Mundare and its elected officials.

McKellar said she presented her proposal to town council on Tuesday, (March 1). Members of town council were seen selling Ukrainian items prior to the program getting underway.

McKellar thanked everyone for coming to the rally. “We’ve put together a short program that I sincerely hope will accomplish what we want to do, and that is to show our wholehearted support for Ukraine.”

Crowd gathered at Ukraine rally.

(Michelle Pinon/Photos)

Rally participant Peter An.

(Michelle Pinon/Photos)

Opening remarks were presented by Mayor Cheryl Calinoiu. On behalf of Charlotte McKellar and Mundare town council I want to welcome you all here today to join our brothers and sisters in Ukraine who are fighting for their lives.

Mundare is part of the County of Lamont, the heart of Ukrainian settlement in Canada. Mundare is the home of our priests the Order of St. Basil the Great and the Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate. Both were instrumental in fulfilling the spiritual, medical and social needs of our first pioneers.”

Sister Ann led the crowd in reciting of the Lord’s Prayer in Ukrainian and English. That was followed by remarks from McKellar.

McKellar’s voice thick with emotion as she addressed the crowd. “What a beautiful winter morning this is. No smoky skies. No bombs or grenades going off, sirens screaming. We are safe. We have food, homes to go back to. We can sleep at night not worrying about whether it will be our last. Our fellow Ukrainians now have none of this. And are fighting for their lives and their freedom.

Someone asked me just recently, how I got involved in this rally. Although my surname is McKellar, I am Ukrainian through and through, and I am proud of it. My grandparents, (Andrew and Mary Odynak) and great grandparents, (Ivan and Axana Odynak) came from Bukovina and Galica in about 1910 and homesteaded in the Hairy Hill area.

This is probably true of many of you here in Mundare, this always was and still is a predominantly Ukrainian community. There are many families here who are still farming the land their ancestors homesteaded on.

Members of Mundare town council. Back row L-R: Eddie Shepel, Rick Patrie and Glen Rozumniak. Front row: Mayor Cheryl Calinoiu and Irene Talaga.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)

From the times we were children we were immersed in the Ukrainian culture through religion, language, food and music. And even though most of those ancestors are no longer with us, that ethnic background will be with us for the rest of our lives.

Ukraine was their Mother country, and for that reason it is very close to our hearts. For those of you who still have relatives living there, our hearts go out to you as you worry about their safety. We must continue to pray for the souls of those who’ve already perished, for the families struggling to stay alive, and for the men and soldiers who continue to fight bravely for their freedom.”

Bohdan Pivovarchuk, President of the Zustreech Ukrainian Society, spoke about the non-profit organization and some of the charitable work it has done over the past 26 years. He also told the crowd about the society’s latest fundraising efforts and what is being done to support the people of Ukraine by sending medical supplies to the frontline in Ukraine.

Town Councillor Rick Patrie delivered remarks on behalf of Fort Saskatchewan- Vegreville MLA Jackie Armstrong- Homeniuk, who lineage can be traced back to Ivan Pylypow and Wasyl Eleniak, the first Ukrainians to come to Canada in the late 1800’s.

There was a brief interruption in the program just as Patrie was concluding his remarks from a protester who was yelling from his vehicle. After a few attendees intervened, the protester left the area.

Rudy Warawa was accompanied by a few family members and friends who sang the Ukrainian national anthem. Warawa said his family discussed the possibility of bringing a Ukrainian refugee family into their home. While it would be too big a commitment to take on alone, Warawa said that if anyone is interested in working collectively on this idea to get in touch with him over the next couple of days.

Town Councillor Irene Talaga made closing remarks. “On behalf of Mayor Calinoiu and my fellow councillors I am overwhelmed with the support for Ukraine that we have received today.”

Do You Want to Help Ukraine?

The best resource as recommended by both the Alberta Government and Canada Government is the Canadian Ukrainian Foundation: www.cufoundation.ca