Edmontonians fill charter plane with supplies for Ukraine

Helping outfit Ukrainian newcomers Edmonton store offers new wardrobes to Ukrainian newcomers calling the city home. Alison MacKinnon explains.

A local effort to collect needed medical and emergency response supplies for Ukraine has filled a charter plane.

Approximately 10,000 kilograms of donated medical supplies, non-lethal protective gear, and other equipment were gathered as part of the Fill A Plane for Ukraine campaign.

Volunteers with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Alberta Provincial Council (UCC-APC) and Firefighter Aid Ukraine helped sort and prepare the donated supplies. The UCC-APC says the maximum quota for the plane had been reached in less than nine hours after starting the project Thursday evening.

"It's a very extensive amount of product that has come through," said Orysia Boychuk, UCC-APC president, at a media availability late Sunday evening. "We are very grateful and thankful to all the donors."

Premier Jason Kenney helped to prepare and seal a few packages of supplies Sunday that included firefighting gear, tactical vests, and military-style backpacks.

"All Albertans are devastated to see the images of this brutal assault on humanity being led by Vladimir Putin and his forces in Ukraine against an innocent civilian population," Kenney said.

"That thick connection between Alberta and Ukraine means so much to all of us," he added.

Oleksandr Danyleiko, Consul General of Ukraine in Edmonton, said the generosity of Albertans was helping not only supply Ukrainian civilians and forces but feeding their spirit to continue fighting against Russian aggression.

"It's a terrible war," Danyleiko said. "What you can see here, this is great and just very critical and timely support from you Canadians, Ukrainian Canadians, from Alberta.

"It will save lives of our soldiers. It will save lives of our women and children," he added. "Together we will win."

The plane is expected to lift off from the Edmonton International Airport early this week and land in Europe where the donated gear will be sent to Ukrainian forces.