{"id":30972,"date":"2022-03-17T18:49:24","date_gmt":"2022-03-17T22:49:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/?p=30972"},"modified":"2022-03-24T18:26:51","modified_gmt":"2022-03-24T22:26:51","slug":"aurorans-stand-in-solidarity-with-ukraine-at-citizen-led-rally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newspapers-online.com\/auroran\/aurorans-stand-in-solidarity-with-ukraine-at-citizen-led-rally\/","title":{"rendered":"Aurorans stand in solidarity with Ukraine at citizen-led rally"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Jake Tubaro has done more than his fair share to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But despite raising nearly $4,500 for the Red Cross through the sale of buttons emblazoned with the Ukrainian flag, he still felt it was not enough, so he and his mother, Suzanne Cummings, put on their winter gear on Sunday afternoon and joined dozens of area residents at the Aurora Cenotaph for a march and rally in support of Ukraine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Organized by Laura Hanna, the rally departed the Cenotaph just after 2 p.m. and marched north along Yonge Street to Town Park where a vigil was held.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe turnout is incredible \u2013 the outpouring of love and support means so much,\u201d said Hanna from the Town Park band shell, where she stood alongside local dignitaries including Mayor and Council, MP Leah Taylor Roy, and MPP Michael Parsa. \u201cI know we have all been grappling with the recent events in Ukraine and trying to find ways to process what has been happening but doing that together is very helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn recent weeks, with tremendous sadness, I have taken some comfort in seeing images of global solidarity and thought, \u2018Why not in Aurora, too?\u2019 The fact that you\u2019re all here shows how much you care and I think it is those human values of love, kindness, and respect that ultimately will lead Ukraine and its people to triumph.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These words were echoed by participants, including Anna Kroeplin, an Aurora woman of Ukrainian descent who has cousins now fighting back against the Russian invasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is terrifying, just horrendous, and you just pray for everybody,\u201d said Ms. Kroeplin as those taking part in the solidarity march rounded the corner of Metcalfe and Wells Streets towards Town Park. \u201cIt is not just family, it\u2019s all these women and children, and the men who have to stay to fight. You\u2019re just praying for all of them because Putin has been so unpredictable with what he\u2019s bombing and what\u2019s being targeted. Ukrainians are such a tight community, but we just feel for absolutely everybody \u2013 and we fight hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis outpouring of love and support means so much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alexander, another participant in the rally, offered the perspective of being a resident of the former USSR before coming to Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said he sees the Russian invasion as an attempt to bring back the USSR and \u201cI want this thing to stop. I want the USSR to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI wanted to show that support,\u201d said Alexander. \u201cThis is the best thing I can do now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leading the dignitaries on Sunday afternoon was Mayor Tom Mrakas who said he too was \u201cdeeply concerned by the violence and loss of life due to the invasion of Ukraine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe images we see across our screens on a daily basis are simply heartbreaking to witness,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Town of Aurora stands with the people of Ukraine and their democratically elected government and all the Ukrainian Canadians who call Aurora home. We condemn Russia\u2019s unprovoked attacks and echo the international community\u2019s calls for de-escalation and the immediate resolution to the conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOver the last few weeks, we have witnessed the unity of the Ukrainian people and their incredible bravery in the face of enormous violence. As a community and indivdiduals we can demonstrate our support through our voices as we are today but also through our actions. We are witnessing an incredible effort of organizing across the world here in Canada. Many established organizations such as the Canadian Red Cross, Canada Ukraine Foundation, and UNICEF are deploying active campaigns to provide the resources to Ukrainians. There are also local initiatives, clothing and supplies by residents, that ship to Ukraine. Even a bake sale by a granddaughter of a local resident that has raised over $2,000 for relief aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI encourage us all to do what we can to support these efforts and it is my sincere hope that a path to peace can be found swiftly and all Ukrainians here in Canada and around the world know that they are not alone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This hope was shared by MPP Parsa who spoke off the cuff following Mayor Mrakas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is important that we stand in solidarity because an attack on democracy on one is an attack on democracy for all,\u201d he said. \u201cWe need to stand united. There are over 375,000 Ontarians who are of the Ukrainian origin and they also need to hear our voice, that we stand in solidarity with them. They have families back home and they need to know that we stand shoulder to shoulder with them. It\u2019s through tough times that we show our true characters and the Town of Aurora\u2026 the residents here, the leadership here, has shown that we\u2019re not only there together during good times but during difficult times we stand united as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt all levels of government, we stand shoulder to shoulder with you and we hope for a day when we never have to see this sort of tyranny, aggression and oppression again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Federal level of government was represented by MP Taylor Roy who not only spoke in solidarity with the people of Ukraine but also, as the mother of two girls adopted from Russia, of the Russian people who oppose the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a humanitarian crisis,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is heartbreaking to see what is happening, that we have war once again after 78 years of relative peace in Europe \u2013 a sovereign country being invaded by its neighbour. The images we have seen\u2026 when you look at the people of Ukraine, it is not about our government, it\u2019s about the people. For the Russian people as well, I don\u2019t believe that most of the Russian people want this war, either. I believe we have to be very sensitive to the Russian Canadians as well as our Ukrainian Canadian colleagues. Everyone is suffering right now because of the absolutely horrific deeds of Putin and it is the Government of Russia that is the problem here, not the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt is just wrong for another country to come in and say that this should belong to them because they want it to rebuild an empire\u2026I am deeply sad and disturbed by what is going on, but I am also somewhat encouraged that we have all of us out here today and these things have been going on across Canada and across the world and recognize that we need to come together and the energy of all of us together can make a difference\u2026and Canada has really made a great impact on what has been happening in the G7, in the European Union, and try to put in sanctions and make life very difficult for Putin until he leaves Ukraine. We will stay with them until the very end.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the vigil, including a prayer led by Pastor Jacob Perro of Northridge Community Church, young Jake was back at work, distributing his pins to local leaders and collecting even more for the Red Cross in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe started with a goal of $500 with 50 buttons and he\u2019s done 1,000 buttons and got $4,400 so far raised,\u201d said Suzanne. \u201cHe\u2019s been watching the kids leaving their homes and he wanted to make sure that wherever they got where they were going they would have the stuff they needed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n\r\n\"Facebook\"<\/a>\"twitter\"<\/a>\"mail\"<\/a>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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