Calgary's Ukrainian community holds rally in response to dam destruction
Calgary's Ukrainian community held an emergency rally on Tuesday night in response to the destruction of a dam in southern Ukraine.
More than 100 people gathered at Poppy Plaza, lining up along Memorial Drive N.W., holding up signs and Ukrainian flags.
They could be heard chanting and singing their country's national anthem as cars passed by, many of them honking in support.
Ukraine and Russia are blaming each other for blowing up the Nova Kakhovka Dam, which sits on the Dnipro River that separates Russian and Ukrainian forces.
Villagers have been forced to flee as the water encroaches on a sizeable piece of land.
Anastasiia Haiduchenko moved to Calgary a year ago to flee the war, but her parents and two grandmothers stayed in their hometown of Kherson, which is near the dam.
She says she first heard the news from her husband, who is from Nova Kakhovka, on Monday night.
"I was like, 'No, that's not true. That's impossible. They're still people, like they understand what's going to happen, hundreds, thousands of lives will be taken,'" Haiduchenko said.
"All night I spent on the phone with my family … I want this world to hear what's happening there. I want people to understand that Russia is a terrorist state. I'm not going to mind my words."
Haiduchenko says her family and friends have been helping evacuate people who live by the river.
She says she's trying to help however she can from Calgary and appreciates the opportunity to gather with other Ukrainians at rallies like this.
"I feel like I'm not alone in this and my family, we're not left alone with all this tragedy," Haiduchenko said.
More than 100 people gathered at Poppy Plaza, lining up along Memorial Drive N.W., holding up signs and Ukrainian flags.
Narhiza Musaieva, a rally organizer, says she worries for her father, who is in Zaporizhzhia and will face issues with drinking water as a result of the dam's destruction.
She also worries for her friends, who were in the area that had to be evacuated.
"They were really scared. They were lucky to be able to evacuate because they had relatives in other parts of Ukraine, but not everyone is that lucky," Musaieva said.
"When something like this happens, usually it's the community who reaches out with the hope that we can do something, have some impact because it's really hard just sitting at home or at work doing nothing and just watching our country struggle."
Rally participants are calling for Canada and its allies to designate the Russian Federation as a state supporter of terrorism, to continue giving Ukraine the weapons it needs, and to stop trade with Russia.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.