Local community members worried about family living in Ukraine

Ukrainian pride hangs on the front window of Karlik Bakery on Barton Street as many are carrying heavy hearts for loved ones back home who refuse to leave. The owner of Karlik Bakery, Luba Mudrakm says seeing missiles fired is scary and wanted her mother and mother in law who lives in the area of Lviv to retreat.

President of Hamiltons chapter of the Ukrainian National Federation, Konstantin Sheweli says his aunt lives in the rebel-controlled region of Luhansk. Saying, “several families were leaving her apartment and travelling towards the direction to Russia, and as of this morning her building has been hit, she was evacuated, I’m not sure where and what direction.”

After countless years of a Russian threat, some Hamiltonians feel a sense of abandonment from the western world, particularly in Canada, home of the third-largest Ukrainian population in the world behind Russia and Ukraine.

Hamilton city hall has a monument commemorating the settlement of Ukrainians here in Canada. According to the last Stats Canada report, there are around 18,000 people in Hamilton who are of Ukrainian descent.

Father Wasyl Makarenko at St. Vladimirs says he wants to see Ottawa help bring in more Ukrainians to Canada. Saying, “we’ve had difficulties bringing in Ukrainians, up until now. I’ve put through compassionate requests to foreign affairs to bring more Ukrainians in.