Iqalummiut to stand with Ukraine
Drum dancing, musical performances and a moment of silence on the program for Saturday’s event
Pope Francis is set to visit Iqaluit in July. The northern lights are seen here glowing above Iqaluit’s igloo-shaped St. Jude’s Cathedral on Dec. 5, 2021 (File photo courtesy of Bill Williams)
Iqalummiut will gather for an afternoon of music, sharing and support on Saturday in solidarity with the city’s Ukrainian community and others affected by Russia’s invasion of the country, now into its second month.
“I’m already deeply moved by the community’s initial responses,” said Svetlana Tumilty, who was born in Ukraine, and is one of the planners of the weekend event, Friends of Ukraine for World Peace.
A small group of Iqaluit-based Ukrainians has been meeting on Thursday nights to support each other as they feel the effects of the war on their homeland.
“I initiated the meetings so we could support each other, cry together, eat together … just not feel alone when we’re struggling with the news we’re receiving from Ukraine,” said Tumilty.
In Iqaluit, there are about four residents who were born and grew up in Ukraine, but there are others who are Ukrainian descendants, she said.
Now, the group is creating opportunities for the wider community to come together.
“We felt we would like to have a gathering where people can join together in their support for Ukraine,” Tumilty said.
At Saturday’s event, which is open to anyone, there will be a moment of silence, drum dancing, performances by local musicians and an open mic for anyone who wants to share a peace-related poem or story.
Julie Vaddapalli, a music teacher, got involved in the event planning after she reached out to Tumilty with the idea of putting a choir together to perform outside of the legislative assembly in support of Ukraine.
She said she was inspired by a video she saw of a Russian tank being stopped in its tracks by a wall of people standing side by side, singing Ukraine’s national anthem.
This idea fit with the groups’ desire to get Iqalummiut together, where Vaddapalli and others are scheduled to perform.
Vaddapalli said the City of Iqaluit, St. Jude’s Cathedral and other groups and residents in town fully supported the event when they heard the idea.
“Everybody wants to help, they just didn’t know how,” she said.
“It’s just been this outpouring of support and solidarity.”
More events may be planned in the coming weeks and months, depending on this weekend’s turnout.
Saturday’s event will take place at St. Jude’s, the Anglican church in Iqaluit, beginning at 1:30 p.m.
As a former resident of Iqaluit (moved out in January) of Ukrainian heritage, I want to say ᓇᑯᕐᒦᒃ/дякую/thank you/merci to all Iqalummiut who are standing with Ukraine in the face of Putin’s aggression. Your show of support means a lot to me, the Ukrainian-Canadian community and the people of Ukraine. Слава Україні/Glory to Ukraine! Героям слава/Glory to the heroes!
I stand with Palestine. 2 months war with Ukraine, while Palestinians been fighting for their OWN land for over 70 years. Darn Hypocrites.
Heartfelt thanks from David Kolot and Brian Lunger for this show of support from Iqaluit. There is not a day that goes by that we don’t think of our relatives who are living in the Ukraine. We pray every day for this war to end. The Ukrainian people are stalwart and are doing what they can to stop this aggression. This show of support from around the world is much appreciated. As members of the Ukrainian community in Victoria we do what we can to fund the humanitarian effort. Svetlana and friends thank you for your special efforts. Wishing we could be there with you! You will be in our thoughts. Slava ukrayini.
Is that called white priviledge? Many other wars have been going on for years but our government gives special treatment to this war. Just curious
Tens of thousands of people have lost their homes, their children, their spouses, their own lives.. they have been subjected to a state of being you will never know and clearly can not even imagine. And yet here you are to cite their “white privilege”. What a joke. I bet you think this is a very insightful and clever comment, in reality it is juvenile and intellectually bankrupt.
What “special treatment” has our government given to this conflict?
Also, tonight Ukrainian Journalist Anastasiia Lapatina reported that in the city of Irpin Russian soldiers shot and killed a group of women and girls, then ran over them with their tanks.
How much “privilege” would you say those women had?
OOohhhh, media report said it? Well, it must be true then. Did the reporter also say what happened in Donbass region and Donetsk for the past 8 years?
I feel bad only for the people that are suffering on both sides. Could not care less about Ukraine as a country. Corruptionus maximus. People are the only ones who suffer for others political ambitions.
As far as the what’s what with privilege’s talk, take a look at the Middle East and how much are the people getting help from western countries. Namely Palestine. Since countries in that region are also being destroyed by others, they surely must be getting hundreds of millions of dollars from Canada, weapons to defend themselves, humanitarian aid, logistics…etc. same as Ukraine does.
Something tells me that kind of aid will not be extended beyond Ukraine. Wonder why?
War is war. Regardless who the victims are, some should not get more attention over the others.
exactly,its so convenient to finaly have a reason to ditch dirt on their long time hated communist cold war Enemy and all the control media just spill dirt on russian and putine, looks like no one knows or knew that Ukrainane was at war allready Before Russia, with another country for years. and Ukraine is treated like they are a perfect peacefull country that never wage war, I Think Killers live in that country after i saw on tv a proud Ukrainian Man showing a russian soldier burn alive in his Tank and it was all accepted as normal
FMI on the straight goods on the proxy war Russia vs America I recommend taking in Scotsman George Galloway’s MOATS. A weekly program which he hosts on a shoe string budget. It would be your time very well spent.
There are roughly 750 US foreign military bases; they are spread across 80 nations! After the U.S is the UK, but they only have 145 bases. Russia has about 3 dozen bases, and China just five.
A quick research shows that the US is committed to being The Dominant global power.
That is the result of the USA being called into reign in Germany and Japan in World War 2. The USA won that war on a two-ocean front. That is why the USA has bases all over the planetand Russia and China does not. The world and the nations the USA defeated in World War 2 INCLUDING present-day China have benefited from the USA’s dominance. Communist China fell into disaster and was a pathetic ghost compared to the China of today when it was aligned with the Soviet Union. The miracle of modern China grew AFTER Nixon normalized relations between the USA and China, and China turned towards the USA and its allies for economic assistance, modernization, education, and trade. These are facts. I know it hurts the Russian plants in this forum, however, the truth is the truth
George Galloway is a Russian propagandist who continues to report for ‘Russia Today (RT)’ and ‘Sputnik’ (both state sponsored news outlets). He promotes conspiracy theories and the idea that Russia has been and continues to be the victim in this conflict.
If you don’t believe me go look at his Twitter feed for yourself.
The Russian state is committed to the creation of a fictional vision of the world that promotes the interests of it’s Oligarchs and Kleptokrats.
See: ‘George Galloway’s Russian Ramblings’ in the Spectator
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/george-galloway-s-russian-ramblings
I would recommend ‘The Road to Unfreedom’ by Timothy Snyder if you are truly interesting in the ideological basis and deeper mechanics and history of this conflict and of the Russia perspective on the world, including its rich use of media and propaganda, of which Galloway is a contributor.
Not so, but anyone not going with the flow as during the days of Senator MaCarthy and his Red Scare campaign in the 30s or 40s was branded a Commie and a Red. We are back to square 1.
ive seen somewhere on youtube long ago putin giving a hard look at some Oligarchs and giving them warning, you are dead wrong when you say putin support Oligarchs, Oligarchs only makes his country poorer then its allready is,why would he support that ?
thank you to all and to the Anglican church for opening their doors for this coming together.
First of all we should be thankful that we live in Canada, freedom and peace. The truckers protest was the biggest threat we seen thus far, in peaceful time. And it was eventually handle well in the end, notwithstanding that police failed Ottawa citizens in the beginning. We should always keep in mind that the Soviet Union was built on corruption and lies, and that seed of deception seems to remain in the ex Soviet nations, Ukraine is no exception. If what we are witnessing in this unreliable news report is true than it’s incredibly inhuman. I’m with NATO here as not to jeopardize our freedom for Ukrainian people, at least not in a rashly decisive way. My love ones,!my fellow Canadians are not built on corruption and lies, therefore we don’t owe these Corruption seeded countries nothing. But if Russia is really committing war crimes, after the truth comes out of the corruption and lies, then NATO should act, but until that time , we need to think of our freedom and peace, and realize that the seed of evil in some of these countries is beyond our capacity to fix.
It’s so interesting that Russia has bits and pieces of themselves almost everywhere on the planet. Look at the north, Russia has been coming in for years, they are sitting up shop in front of our eyes. Can’t the government over the years figure out that the Russia agenda is alive and going as planned. Even the United States failed to see how the Russians have been coming in for years and years. Hope this is a wake up call for the western countries, to keep everything Russia out of peaceful areas. You would think that United States at least would interpret Russia in this sneaky way, since the state’s are sneaky too, but have more heart and soul then Russia. Let’s see a stripping of all Russia seeds in our country.
I grew up in post ww2 in this fine country. As kids we were told stories of the brutality of war, and how our soldiers fought for freedom. We hear first hand from those who fought , about Nazi Germany, Pearl Harbour. And the horrible reality of millions of suffering and death. I feel proud that I’m Canadian, and feel proud of the fight that was won for our freedom. But I can’t remember ever not hearing about these wars that have been going on ever since the ending of ww2. It’s been a continuous news about Russia and the USA and the Cold War. Korean, Middle East., genocide in Africa. And now this Russian Ukrainian war. It never ends, but we are Canadian, and we are sending off billions of dollars , manpower, equipment day in day out, year after year. It’s like, maybe is, a Third World War that started right after the second, that I thought ended, just before I was born. But it appears to have been going on ever since. I think we should use more resources to detect the human traits that keep these wars going and going. As Canadians , we have a right to get more answers, if we continue to send money to help, or maybe keeping the wars going. It’s countries like Canada that pays dearly as a peaceful country. We don’t deserve to be expected to just cater to the strife. More money to put into understand the origin of strife in humanity. Ifs that an impossible task to get understanding of, then separate the peace from the evil and be intelligent enough to Barr the resources to evil as a human right to all. Have you ever wondered what theses war torn countries hear in their news every day about Canadian?
War is a waste of money,exspensive machineries and above all a
Waste of Live’s. you see? in all Countries Goverment Brainwash their people in order for them to be willing to freely sacrifice their live”s as Canoon Meat in the Bloody war grinders. Now Please remember This, we should bear respect to all fallen soldiers, the Suppose Enemies as well, no matter what side you are on, Cause they given their life to an ideology that may change after the war is over or many year later, Respect To All The Fallen, Cheer”s