It's been over four months, and with the Russian invasion of Ukraine still happening, a local church is still working to help those fleeing to Canada, particularly the region.
Holy Cross Ukrainian Catholic Church, located on Parkside Drive near Queen's Park in downtown Barrie, held a Father’s Day barbecue Sunday afternoon to welcome Ukrainian refugees in the area.
The church has been active since the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began on Feb. 24, and Father Andrija Petresin told BarrieToday he is still trying to make Ukrainians feel accepted here in Barrie and the surrounding area.
“The church is a useful place for connecting people to each other at all times, but particularly when many Ukrainian immigrants are here and don’t know anyone or anything about Simcoe County,” said Petresin. “People need information about daily things you and I take for granted. As a priest with two churches, I can get very busy. By having an event like this, we connect people together, and they can lean on each other when needed and make friends.”
Despite sanctions and stern words from the rest of the world, Russia has continued to push into the country.
Ksenia is a mother of two who has lived in Barrie since April, having left her home in Bucha, Ukraine, due to the invasion.
Ksenia told BarrieToday her husband is still back home, fighting.
“For one month, I went to Germany, but after that, I came to Canada because I have friends here from Ukraine who have lived here for four years,” Ksenia said. “My husband worked for a Canadian company but is now with the Ukrainian military.”
Ksenia said her hometown was now crushed, so she believes there is no going back.
“Our home is no good. We don't have windows or doors, and some things have been stolen by Russian soldiers, we think,” she said. “We thought things were getting better because everyone was coming back to the town, but now we don’t know. We don't know when we will go back.”
Ksenia is afraid for her husband and all those in the war right now, especially as her friend’s husband was killed in March.
The event today at Holy Cross was a church service, followed by a barbecue. It was attended by around 60 people, with kids kicking balls around and adults talking while enjoying lunch.
Barbara was studying in Lithuania the previous year and had been keeping a close eye on the impending invasion.
“I remember the day it started, and it was 6 a.m. when I was getting ready to go to university. I started getting so many messages from family and friends that the war had started,” said Barbara. “It was a crazy month, and now it is still going on. Many people had fled but have started to come back because they couldn't be away from their families.”
Barbara said the one thing that is happening is that people are becoming desensitized to everything, and that, she says, can’t happen.
“When people first started hearing the alarms, they thought, ‘oh my God, I have to hide,’ but after a while, it was like, ‘oh, another alarm. I will go have a cigarette.’ They are getting used to it, which is scary,” said Barbara.
While she came to Canada a month ago and is staying with her uncle, the 20-year-old has found a job at a summer camp and is doing all she can to fit into her life in Canada.
That said, Barbara deals with the feeling of guilt.
“I try to not watch the news and more try to contact family over there to find out what is happening. It's tough to hear that a building I know of was blown up or people are injured,” Barabara said. “I feel guilty sometimes that I’m here and I’m safe.”
When the invasion first happened, there were many donation drives and public events to help those in Ukraine and those who moved here due to the situation.
There are still ways to help and a need for it, whether it be donations or community advice.
Check out the social media pages here and here to assist.
