{"id":18048,"date":"2025-02-24T20:04:06","date_gmt":"2025-02-24T20:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/24\/we-want-stability-ukrainians-in-winnipeg-on-third-anniversary-of-war-winnipeg\/"},"modified":"2025-02-24T20:04:06","modified_gmt":"2025-02-24T20:04:06","slug":"we-want-stability-ukrainians-in-winnipeg-on-third-anniversary-of-war-winnipeg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/torontotribune.ca\/index.php\/2025\/02\/24\/we-want-stability-ukrainians-in-winnipeg-on-third-anniversary-of-war-winnipeg\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018We want stability\u2019: Ukrainians in Winnipeg on third anniversary of war – Winnipeg"},"content":{"rendered":"


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On the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine, members of Winnipeg\u2019s Ukrainian community are reflecting on the conflict that continues to drag on and where they stand in Canada as they nervously watch news from back home.<\/p>\n

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Ihor Shved, pastor at the city\u2019s Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral of Sts. Volodymyr and Olga, said those questions come up regularly among his parishioners \u2014 most of whom never expected a third year would go by without resolution.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all know that war is not something that you can plan to stop it tomorrow or in one month, but we had hope \u2026 and we don\u2019t want to believe that it will still be here next year,\u201d Shved told Global Winnipeg. \u201cBut we are here \u2026 and we are thankful for those people who are fighting there as well as for those who are supporting our country around the world.<\/p>\n

For some Ukrainian families in Winnipeg, returning home isn\u2019t as easy as it seems \u2014 they\u2019ve set up roots in the city and, after three years, their children have become integrated into Canadian culture.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere are mix(ed) feelings. It looked different one year ago or two years ago,\u201d Shved said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, after three years here \u2014 especially for those who are with children and their children are growing up in the society \u2026 the English language, Canadian culture, it\u2019s not that easy. The number of those who are willing to go back are less.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite that, he said, there are many Ukrainians in Canada who long to return home and are doing what they can to get back. Many of those decisions, however, depend on official documentation, as many community members await news on permanent residency applications while facing the imminent expiration of their three-year work permits.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe, as human beings, we want stability,\u201d he said. \u201cWe don\u2019t like to live in the feelings when you don\u2019t know what will happen tomorrow. There are worries, stress \u2026 but people are trying.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re trying to give a message of hope to our people.\u201d<\/p>\n

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That message is something shared by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC), a national non-profit that acts as the voice of the Ukrainian community in Canada.<\/p>\n

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UCC executive director Ihor Michalchyshyn told Global Winnipeg there are more than 45 rallies planned this weekend across Canada in support of Ukraine and many others around the world.<\/p>\n

Recent comments from U.S. president Donald Trump suggesting that Ukraine is to blame for the conflict are raising red flags in the community, Michalchyshyn said.<\/p>\n