Tag: Remembrance
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A Place to Stand and Remember
At the Holodomor monument at Winnipeg City Hall on April 22, 2026, the day Vancouver City Council agreed to welcome the girl to Vancouver. This week I have been reading the posts about the Holodomor monument in the Ukrainians in Vancouver group. The Holodomor (holodomor: death inflicted by hunger, from holod, hunger, and moryty, to…
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May 9, 2026 — Shame Day, Not Victory Day
Eighty-one years ago today, Nazi Germany was defeated. Millions died to make that defeat possible. Ukrainians, Russians, Belarusians, Kazakhs, Jews, Poles, Roma, Indigenous soldiers from across the Soviet Union, Allied forces from around the world. Their memory belongs to all of humanity, and it deserves better than what the Kremlin has done with it. Today…
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Helmets of Memories: Remembrance Is Not a Violation
A New Initiative Born at the Stand with Ukraine Weekly Gathering in Kamloops Saturday, February 14, 2026, Kamloops, British Columbia Today, something powerful took shape at our weekly Stand with Ukraine gathering in Kamloops, a city that has stood in solidarity with Ukraine every single Saturday for nearly four years. It began earlier in the…
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Every Photo Is a Life: The Stories Behind Heraskevych’s Banned Olympic Helmet
This has been a week of mourning. On Tuesday, a mass shooting at Tumbler Ridge Secondary School in northeastern British Columbia killed eight people, including five children. A small community of 2,400, where the mayor says he doesn’t call residents “residents,” he calls them “family” was shattered in minutes. Canada lowered its flags. The nation…
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A Life Devoted to Ukraine: Remembering Andriy Parubiy and the Courage That Continues
Personal Note: I decided to write an article about the killing of Andriy Parubiy and his work to protect Ukraine’s identity, making clear that the death of people like Parubiy signals to everyone who stands with Ukraine that they could be next. As long as you have a strong Ukrainian identity, you represent a target…
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A Day at Mara Lake: Rest, Reflection, and Remembrance
After a morning of cherry picking, we found ourselves drawn to the peaceful shores of Mara Lake – the perfect spot to rest and recharge. Though we couldn’t make it to Kamloops for Saturday’s Stand with Ukraine gathering, we took a moment by the water to reflect on the ongoing struggle for freedom and democracy.…
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Scrolling Through What Could Have Been
Scroll. There it is – that photo from a year ago. You are boarding the plane to Montreal, probably tired from packing at the last minute, maybe annoyed about the early departure time. The CASWE-ACFTS conference registration receipt is still in your bag, and the presentation slides saved on your laptop. Just another work trip.…
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Remembering Through Poppies: A Message on Day 1,169
Today marks 1,169 days since the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine began. As the poppies in my garden prepare to bloom, they remind me of the timeless connection between these delicate flowers and our duty to remember those who have suffered in war. The Poppies in My Garden The poppies in my garden stand as…
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Standing with Ukraine: Remembering Chornobyl
As we gathered yesterday on this unusually warm Saturday in Kamloops—a day that reminds me of 39 years ago when the world held its breath—I want to share these words of remembrance and solidarity. April 26 marks the Day of Remembrance for the Chornobyl catastrophe. On this day in 1986, an explosion at the fourth…
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Between the Gospel and Global Crisis: Remembering Pope Francis with Compassion and Clarity
Pope Francis has left this world—a man of paradox, courage, tenderness, and contradiction. His passing marks the end of a papacy that dared to reach beyond the walls of the institution, even as it struggled to reconcile the call of the Gospel with the weight of global complexity. As Orysa Bila beautifully wrote, Pope Francis…
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Vasyl Slipak: The Voice That Resounded on the Battlefield
Born on December 20, 1974, in Lviv, Ukraine, Vasyl Slipak seemed destined for greatness from an early age. His rare vocal abilities were first noticed within his family, though no one in his household had a professional connection to music. At the age of nine, Vasyl joined the renowned choir Dudaryk, where his musical talent…
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The Fourth Saturday of November: Remembering the Holodomor
Sasha stood at the front of his Ukrainian Diaspora Language Class, but this day was different. The room was dimly lit, a solemn ambiance set by small, flickering свічки пам’яті (memorial candles) lined up at the front, each one representing a million lives lost in the Holodomor. As students entered, the usual lighthearted atmosphere was…