The Ukrainian diaspora of Prince George will hold a commemorative ceremony at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23 in honour of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The event will be held in the square in front of the City Hall entrance at 1100 Patricia Boulevard, which corresponds with the start of the invasion, at 4 a.m. Kyiv time on Feb. 24, 2022..
The invasion resulted in the largest influx of refugees since the Second World War, with eight million Ukrainians forced to flee their homes. The number of victims of this war cannot be counted in war conditions, but it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives.
The commemorative ceremony will begin with a lighting of memory candlelight ceremony at 6 p.m., followed by a moment of silence at 6:02 p.m. for those who have died. The Ukrainian national anthem will be sung at 6:03 p.m. and speeches will begin at 6:05 p.m. The event will conclude at 6:20 p.m.
Invited guests include Prince George Mayor Simon Yu, city council members, Members of Parliament, First Nations chiefs, PG Sharehope, Prince George for Ukraine and all volunteers, all supporters, community of Prince George and the Ukrainian national community of Prince George.
The event promises to be a solemn occasion, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own candles to light in memory of the victims of the invasion. The Ukrainian community of Prince George invites everyone to join them in commemorating this solemn occasion.
Since the start of the invasion one year ago, Prince George for Ukraine and Share Hope has helped to settle 192 displaced Ukrainians across the region. Currently there are 163 displaced Ukrainians who remain in Prince George.
PG Sharehope and Prince George for Ukraine are currently in contact with more than 79 people who have indicated they are interested in coming and are in various states of readiness with documents and flights. Thirty-one people arrived in December another five in January and so far 21 in February.