Local man rallying for Ukraine

Local resident Bob Oleksiw was heartened by the show of support for Ukraine at a rally Saturday that began at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church in north St. Catharines. 

According to Irene Schumylo Newton, president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Niagara Chapter, almost 1,000 people turned up to march from the Niagara Street church down Facer Street to St. George’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church, many waving the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag or holding signs denouncing Russian president Vladimir Putin.

“The overwhelming support for the Ukrainian community has been fantastic,” Oleksiw told The Local Sunday. “The community is interested in what is going on in Ukraine. It really means a lot to us. It’s hard to believe that in this day and age a situation that is so reminiscent of what happened in World War II is happening right in front of us.”

Oleksiw is of Ukrainian descent, as is his wife Tina. With Tina’s relatives still living in Ukraine, the couple usually visits the country every second year. Their last trip was about three years ago, and they would have made another recent trip if the pandemic hadn’t made that nearly impossible. 

“She has aunts and cousins there, who we stay with when we visit,” he explained. “Thankfully we’ve been able to get in touch with them recently. At this point in time everybody is safe. They live in a smaller village, about 40 kilometres from one of the airports that was bombed. They saw some of the action but weren’t in immediate danger.”

For Oleksiw , it’s the uncertainty that Ukrainians are feeling as Putin’s attack on the country continues that is concerning. On the day he spoke to The Local, he was driving to Toronto to help a friend from Ukraine who was in Canada when the Russian invasion began. 

“He’s here for a visit, and his wife and daughter are there in one of the villages,” Oleksiw explained. “His English skills are not the best. He’s not sure how to navigate the situation and figure out what to do. He wants to know if she gets to the border in Poland or Romania, will they be able to be reunited?”

When he was last in Ukraine, there was no inkling that the situation would turn out the way it has, though in October, 2019, Russia kicked off a test of the country’s nuclear arsenal, dubbed Thunder-2019, close to the border between the two countries. 

“There was always hope that that’s all it was,” he said, “that it wasn’t part of his master plan to overtly bring all these troops in and execute this devious invasion. No one thought that the hands of sanity could be turned back. When I watched the footage at my parents’ place the first day, it was surreal.”

Seeing average, everyday Ukrainians being weaponized to join the defence effort hits home for the firefighter. His own father did exactly that in the Second World War. Once he emigrated to Canada, the elder Oleksiw never revisited his birthplace. 

Watching the footage of men leaving their families at the border and going back to fight has been a gut-wrenching experience for the father of Jane and Julia. 

“Those are families that may potentially never be together again. But the men realize that they have to defend their country. Who knows what they will be going back to?”

Like many, Oleksiw worries about the threat of a full-bore nuclear conflict. 

“The hard part is to see the world standing by and watching,” lamented Oleksiw . “Putin’s nuclear threats are legitimate. He has nothing to lose at this point. But I know everyone has to err on the side of caution.”

He admires the approach of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy who, when asked by the U.S. if he wanted them to come in to remove him safely from Ukraine, said, “I don’t need a ride, I need more ammunition.”

“That’s been the sentiment, not just of this recent incursion or World War II, but for centuries countries have been encroaching on the sovereign Ukraine, trying to take it over. It’s something that my wife and I, as kids, grew up learning about, the culture, the invasions, the fighting for their solidarity.”

And it’s something he has worked hard to impart to his daughters. The elder one, Jane, was at the rally with a group of her friends, taking an active role in supporting the community. 

As second vice-president and chair of the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre, Oleksiw is preparing to help out with Ukrainian refugees when the time comes. 

“We’ve had experience with Syrian and Afghani refugees,” he said, “and we’re set up for those from Ukraine. Our provincial government saying they’re going to open up the doors really means a lot to those of us who have families there. It gives us some hope that there will be some good news for them after they are forced from their country.”

With rallies taking place across Canada and around the world, Oleksiw is appreciative that people have been paying close attention to what is going on in Ukraine as the invasion continues. 

“Twenty years ago, things would have been much different,” Oleksiw said. “With social media we have instantaneous live feeds, and we have organizations like Bell offering free phone calls to Ukraine, and Elon Musk providing Starlink to have internet services. Those are vital for information’s sake and for us to be able to assure people.”

Oleksiw urges anyone wishing to support Ukraine with donations to visit the Canada-Ukraine Foundation at cufoundation.ca and donate to their Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, or to donate to the Canadian Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal at redcross.ca.