A day of celebration was also a reminder of what some Ukrainians in Waterloo Region had to leave behind. Families gathered at Kitchener City Hall on Sunday to mark Ukraine’s 35th year of independence. The country’s blue and yellow flag flew above the square, while music and singing filled the air. The celebration was organized by the Waterloo-Wellington branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and Plast Kitchener-Waterloo for Ukraine’s Independence Day on Aug. 24. The ongoing war, however, was never far from the minds of the crowd. “It’s a bittersweet moment because, on one hand, we celebrate our independence,” said Michael Doroshenko, president of UCC’s Waterloo-Wellington branch. “On the other hand, a lot of us are suffering because our home country is still at war.” Ukraine declared independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Now, more than four years after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of the county, Ukrainian newcomers to Waterloo Region say the conflict continues to shape their lives — even from thousands of kilometres away. Maria Smirnova, who hails from Mariupol in the Donbas region, is a researcher at the University of Waterloo. She said people in Ukraine are still dealing with deadly attacks. “The bombs, they fall like missiles, they fall freely on big cities, like Kyiv, the capital,” stated Smirnova. “And so daily, dozens, hundreds of people, they die all over Ukraine.” For Svitlana Cheban, who moved to Waterloo Region from Mykolaiv with her family in June 2022, Independence Day is also a time of remembrance. “Here in Canada, it’s completely different,” she said. “It’s just not a celebration, but I would say it’s a Remembrance Day.” Cheban is grateful for the opportunity to build a life in this country, but her family’s future remains unclear. “It is not easy right now as we still don’t have our permanent residency and we actually don’t know what will be our future.” Doroshenko said it is a common source of anxiety. “A lot of our Ukrainian newcomers experience stress and fatigue because of this uncertainty,” he said. “They’re basically stuck in limbo for years and years.” Despite the challenges, Cheban remains grateful for the support her family has received. “Thank you to Canada for inviting us and for protecting us and for the future help to Ukraine,” she said. The UCC’s Waterloo-Wellington branch said it will continue to bring the local Ukrainian community together, while advocating for issues affecting newcomers and support for Ukraine. Resources for newcomers Ukrainians settling in Waterloo Region can find support for housing, employment, language learning, settlement and other needs from these local organizations: How you can help People who want to support Ukrainians in Waterloo Region with housing, employment or make a financial donation to:
