"The war is not over" - a message from Ukrainian Rally in Morden and name of new exhibit in Manitoba      

A gathering of Ukrainians and Ukrainian supporters took place in front of the Morden Civic Centre Saturday afternoon. Where people held, waved and were wrapped in the country's blue and yellow flag, as they somberly sang the national anthem with strength. People also held pictures of loved ones who had lost their lives in the war and those held in captivity. 

Organizer of the rally and member of the Canadian Congress and Leader of Borsch Ukrainian School Yevgeniya Tatarenko said the Stand with Ukraine rally was held to commemorate the second anniversary of the full-scale war after 10 years of war aggression in Ukraine. 

"We came here to remind the world that war is not over, and that Ukraine deserves and needs our support. Each of us, we can make a difference for Ukraine, and we can tell the Government of Canada and the governments of other countries as well that Ukraine needs more and more help that the situation is not easier them. It looks like the world just started to forget or this information has started to vanish from their memory, but it's not true. The situation is even worse than at the beginning of the war."  

Member of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and Leader of Borsch Ukrainian School Yevgeniya Tatarenko

She described what Ukrainians in Morden are feeling at this time.  

"We have a lot of concerns because what we hear is it's worsening, and we don't know what to expect. That is the horrible reality. We don't know what to expect. We have more and more friends and people we know involved with that and are hurt or have died and were killed on the front line. So, it's hard to say. We hope that Ukraine will win, but we have a lot of concerns about how and when." 

Saturday, it was announced Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a visit to Poland and Ukraine.  

Tatarenko gave her reaction to the news.  

"He (Prime Minister Justin Trudeau) was in Ukraine announcing the signing of the Defensive Cooperation Agreement with Ukraine, which means the new chapter of the support of Canada, which means for a lot of people and professionals, military professionals, it means there might be the change. We hope that there will be the change we need for Ukraine." 

She said it was breaking news.   

"That made us just a little bit happier about what can happen and added more hope that Ukraine can win this war."  

Also announced Saturday afternoon, Tatarenko said she was able to obtain the rights for the "War is Not Over" exhibit that originated in Edmonton Alberta.  

"That exhibition consists of 21 canvases and about the real stories of real people, volunteers and defenders and families and kids, even animals that can be representatives that show what is the reality of the war. It's called 'War is not over.' And it's all about reminding the world, if Russia stops fighting, then Ukraine will win, so the war will stop. But if Ukraine stops fighting, then there will be no Ukraine and probably no democracy in in Europe as well." 

The exhibit was revealed at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on Sunday and Tatarenko was pleased with the turnout of support and interest in the display. She is happy to have received permission to make it a traveling exhibit across the province with the aim of uniting Ukrainian communities in Manitoba and to bring awareness of the realities of the war.