One year ago Russia attacked Ukraine and war began, and to date, over 7000 Ukrainian civilians have died.

But President of the Ukrainian Association Of Moncton Nataliia Haidash says the people have remained resilient, “They try to live life goes on as normal. My parents for example, work and they try to do as much as they can to help other people. For them, they do whatever they can to continue, in spite of everything. In spite of the constant danger or missile attack, or power outage, they keep up.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Canada remains committed to the cause and will continue to support Ukraine in the conflict as long as it lasts, “Canada will continue to do whatever is necessary to ensure that Russia does not benefit from having illegally invaded Ukraine.”

Canada has already committed $1 billion in funding and military resources to Ukraine, including over 250 armoured vehicles and over 4,500 rocket launchers.

“I still can’t believe, when it started, we all hoped that it wouldn’t last more than a few weeks, then more than a few months. Now we see it is going to last for some time, and it is going to take some time for Ukraine to clear all of its territories to become free again, unfortunately,” Haidash adds.

Rallies and remembrance ceremonies are being held across the country on Friday night, raising awareness and funds.

“The Ukrainian Canadian Congress made the call to action on the eve of February 24th, to hold a similar event. Over 40 rallies and marches are being held across Canada tonight,” Haidash says.

In Saint John, a candle-lit vigil will acknowledge the 365 days of Resilience. It gets underway at 6 pm tonight at Saint John City Hall. Participants are encouraged to bring flags and candles or batter lights for the vigil

The Ukrainian Association of Moncton has also organized events for World Remembrance Day in collaboration with Wayne Gallant from CubeTube Mobile Media.

It begins at 6 pm with a rally and candlelit walk from City Hall to the Moncton Press Club.

From there, activities will be held from 7 pm to midnight, filled with music, culture, food, and art with the goal to fundraise for the needs of the Ukrainian Army.

Canada has welcomed over 130,000 Ukrainian refugees seeking safety from the war.