P.E.I.'s Ukrainian community marks season with generosity, gratitude and unwavering resolve

Ukrainians on P.E.I. have felt the generosity and support of Islanders throughout 2022. Now the community wants to build that relationship, sharing their country's traditions and culture.

Elina Lialiuk is helping to organize a project called Ukrainian Days in P.E.I., which recently received funding from a provincial program that promotes diversity and inclusion. 

"That's important because we feel that actually people do not know a lot about Ukraine, and frequently I heard that Ukraine was a part of Russia, or something like that," Lialiuk said.

"It is important for us to demonstrate our distinctiveness, demonstrate our culture. It's kind of our frontline here, our informational war here. So that is why that's important for us."

Lialiuk said it has been challenging to keep up the momentum as the war drags on.
 
"For sure, a lot of people are getting tired, but still we should not give up," Lialiuk said.

"We are in Canada, we are safe. There are no missiles falling down here, like our relatives in Ukraine for example, they have constant power cuts, and nobody knows what to expect the next day."

Community celebration

The Ukrainian community gathered over the weekend in Charlottetown to celebrate St. Nicholas Day.

In Ukraine and other Eastern European Christian countries, St. Nicholas Day is celebrated on Dec. 19, and St. Nicholas is considered the patron saint of children.

A Ukrainian priest travelled to the Island from Moncton to take part in the event.

"That was wonderful. It had the sense of being at home. People had a chance to socialize, to meet and greet each other, to get acquainted," Lialiuk said.

"Because you cannot build a community on Facebook. People should meet in person, speak, socialize, interact and work on common projects together."

The next big event for the community will be a Ukrainian Christmas celebration planned for Jan. 14 in Charlottetown, featuring traditional food, songs and entertainment.

Lialiuk said organizers are hoping to sell 200 tickets, and money raised from the event will be sent to volunteers in Ukraine to help with armoured ambulance vehicles, medicine and medical equipment.

"We are Ukrainians, even though we are are thousands kilometres away, it's our obligation to support people in our country, and to contribute to the victory of Ukraine."

Generosity of Islanders

The Angels of P.E.I. charity was formed in April to support Islanders who wanted to help Ukrainians caught in the war with Russia.

Their fundraising continued this fall.

"We collected winter wear, like thermal socks and thermal underwear for anybody who needs it in Ukraine," said Angels of P.E.I. president Christine Zareck, whose upholstery store, The Material Girl, is home base for the charity in Charlottetown.

"Specifically we send it to some people that are in the army who don't have access to more than one [winter wear item]."

Zareck said an 89-year-old Summerside woman knitted 40 pairs of mittens that were sent to Ukraine, and another donor gave $1,000 for bottled water for a city in Ukraine where residents had not had fresh water since April.

The Angels of P.E.I. also sent money for a generator to help three families in Ukraine who are trying to stay warm during rolling blackouts.

The group is also providing Christmas presents for 10 children who are spending their first Christmas on P.E.I.

"They're upended. And nothing's normal in their life right now, and so we think that it helps to give them something to smile about," Zareck said.

Zareck said support for the Angels of P.E.I. has been steady, since the charity burst onto the scene.

"It has slowed down quite a bit. But some gifts are bigger, like someone did donate $500 to buy these gifts for the children, and $1,000 for the water," Zareck said.

"So, we haven't had to stop. It's still coming in. It's just not coming in like it used to."

Zareck said the charity has raised more than $100,000 since they started collecting donations.

"It's just been wonderful. I can't believe how beautiful the people of Prince Edward Island are," Zareck said.

"Because everybody realizes this is such a senseless war."