Alberta's Ukrainian community sounds the alarm over Russian incursion threat
As Canada sends a small group of special forces and government officials to Ukraine, some of Alberta's Ukrainian community is calling for allies to do more to support the European nation.
An estimated 100,000 Russian troops are poised to strike along Ukraine's eastern border.
Inna Platonova, Calgary branch president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress has family and friends in the country and says each passing day is agonizing and heart-breaking.
"Almost every day you hear from the frontlines, that Ukrainian defenders are being killed," she said.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly spoke in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital city on Tuesday, visiting with local leaders and the few Canadian Forces soldiers who have been deployed to provide training support.
"Russia is the aggressor. We make sure to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine," said Joly. "(Canada is) engaging through ... any form of diplomatic channels with all parties, including Russia to make sure we have a diplomatic solution."
There's no decision for Canada to send military equipment.
"It's very important that a number of stable voices take a strong stance against the unreasonable demands that are being made," said Lori Williams, political science professor at Mount Royal University.
Russia is demanding that Ukraine be blocked from joining NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and Williams says there is no scenario in which that demand can be met.
In 2014, Russia began a military operation to annex and occupy the peninsula of Crimea, and armed conflict continues in eastern regions.
Anna Zakharova, 36, and her immediate family fled Crimea for Calgary eight years ago.
"I remember the feeling of adrenaline rushing through my blood and my hands shaking, not knowing what's going to happen. (And asking) what shall we do, shall we flee?" said Zakharova.
She now resides in Edmonton and says other nations need to help prevent further suffering.
"Will the international community actually be able to help and do something to stop this?" she said.
Ukrainians in Calgary are sharing their stories and want the world to understand their plight.
"Ukraine is not a vassal state of Russia, it is not (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's puppet. It is a sovereign, independent, democratic country," said Bohdan Romaniuk of the Calgary Ukraine Canadian Professional Business Association.
He says Ukraine's allies need to boost its defences by providing more military equipment, and Platonova agrees.
"We are grateful for what Canada is doing and we hope that the support will continue and strengthen," he said. "We hope that Canada (will) provide defence equipment and tools to help Ukraine defend itself."
As well, she hopes a new social media campaign #standwithukraine will gain momentum and spread awareness.
Platonova is hosting a very small event in at the Peace Bridge in Calgary on Jan. 22 as that is the special day of unity in Ukraine.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.