One year ago, Russia breached the borders of Ukraine in a full-scale invasion that has not relented ever since. What had been years of skirmishes and political wrangling became an utter war.
To mark that anniversary, Katrin Kozevnikov MacLean will be holding a gathering to remind Quesnel that the attack on Ukraine is an attack on us all.
“It is not a fundraiser, more of a vigil,” said MacLean. “Like all others I think we never thought that war would be this long. My thoughts of this is that if Russia wins, Putin won’t stop there. I fear that the Baltic Nations will be next. And those I know from those countries say the same.”
MacLean has family and friends in Eastern Europe, especially Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, and they express to her their fears about invasion of more borders. She also has a Ukrainian friend who lives in Quesnel but is currently in Poland attending to a daughter with grand-daughter who have fled there from the fighting while the son-in-law stayed behind to take up arms against the Russian invaders.
“I know that several families that have fled war-torn Ukraine are now living in Quesnel,” MacLean said. “If any show up for this walk I would deeply appreciate if one of them would say something about their experience since the majority of us are only getting our knowledge from news sources and/or other media sites. It would mean a lot to actually hear it from someone who (sadly) has experienced it.”
The event will be Saturday (Feb. 25) starting at Lhtako Dene Park at 1 p.m., with the walk progressing down St. Laurent Avenue then to Kinchant Street and ends at LeBourdais Park at 3 p.m. It is a meeting to show support for the embattled Ukrainian people
“I think of those living in Ukraine at the moment in winter without so many necessities. Can you you even imagine trying to live through a winter without heat and maybe even water because your apartment or dwelling has been bombed. Innocents are being killed and woman being raped. If you didn’t know, Russia is using rape as weapon. The latest news is that the Russians have already taken 6,000 children and brought them into Russia. These are the things that are happening there. It is beyond tragic. Therefore this walk is a vigil to let those families that have fled and those that are still there know that we do care.”
This is the second Walk For Ukraine in the past year that MacLean has held, plus other awareness- and fundraising efforts.