Lamont High School Expresses Solidarity with Ukraine

Lamont High School Expresses Solidarity with Ukraine

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

Students and staff at Lamont High School showed their solidarity with Ukraine on March 1.

All students and staff were encouraged to wear blue and yellow, the national colours of Ukraine, to stand in solidarity with the people of that country.

Elk Island Public Schools released the following statement: It’s with great sadness we’ve watched events unfold in Ukraine this past week. Canada has the third-largest Ukrainian population outside of Ukraine and Russia, and nowhere are those deep roots more prevalent than here on the prairies.

Teacher Cassandra Ostashek.

(Lamont High School/Submitted Photo)

The strong ties to Ukrainian language and culture are reflected in programs like A.L. Horton Elementary’s Ukrainian Bilingual Program in Vegreville, Lamont Elementary’s Ukrainian option with support from L.U.B.A, and Lamont County’s sister village of Nebyliv. We know Ukrainian decedents reside and thrive throughout the rural and urban areas served by Elk Island Public Schools.

Many families and staff members in the Division will be deeply affected by what they see taking place now. Our thoughts are with the people in Ukraine who fight for their sovereign nation, and everyone here who holds them close in their hearts.

Lamont County Council Commits $5,000 for Humanitarian Aid in Ukraine

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

Lamont County council is offering $5,000 for humanitarian aid in Ukraine.

Council made that decision at its March 8 regular meeting. Those funds will go directly to the Canada Ukraine Foundation.

Reeve David Diduck made the motion that was passed unanimously. Diduck said there’s a huge need for humanitarian aid in that country and felt Lamont County should take the initiative as it is the “Cradle of Ukrainian Settlement” and officially twinned with the Village of Nebyliv, Ukraine this past September.

Diduck also issued a challenge to municipalities within and surrounding Lamont County to donate in support of humanitarian aid in Ukraine.

While members of council did not have a problem with the $5,000 contribution, they did voice opposition to a motion theypreviously endorsed which authorized the spending of $14,000 on twinning events planned for this summer.

Councillor Daniel Warawa said he had received a lot of phone calls regarding the $14,000 contribution council had made. “I don’t have the concern of the $5,000, but I have the concern of spending $14,000 on party when people are suffering, when people are displaced, and we’re spending money on a party here for the twinning. We don’t even know if the village or town is still going to be around.”

Councillor Neil Woitas and Councillor Aaron Wick agreed with Warawa. Woitas recommended they combine the $14,000 and add it to the $5,000 contribution. Deputy Reeve Roy Anaka said, “Well, I think the $5,000 is a very worthwhile contribution. And the twinning ceremony, I don’t think it’s a party and a celebration.”

Warawa interjected, and stated, “It is a celebration.”

Anaka replied, “Well, it can be a solemn celebration, too. It doesn’t mean partying and dancing you know. It can be a solemn occasion.” Anaka stated that if everyone on council wants to bring back the $14,000 contribution they could revisit that. Diduck echoed Anaka’s comment, and said they could take a look at that later on down the road.

Warawa said he wanted the matter dealt with sooner rather than later. He made the motion, “That Lamont County council direct staff to engage the stakeholders to pause expenditures on the 2022 twinning events and bring forward for council to reconsider Resolution 2022-107 and decision at the March 22 council meeting.” The motion was carried unanimously.

At the Feb. 22 meeting council defeated a motion made by Diduck to allocate an additional $8,500 in the 2022 budget in support of twinning initiatives for a total of $14,500. Woitas made a subsequent motion to allocate a one-time amount of $8,500 from 2021 surpluses in support of twinning initiatives and to report back on reallocating of council per diems in prior years. That motion was carried.