Edmontonians fill charter plane with supplies for Ukraine
A local effort to collect needed medical and emergency response supplies for Ukraine has filled a charter plane.
Approximately 10,000 kilograms of donated medical supplies, non-lethal protective gear, and other equipment were gathered as part of the Fill A Plane for Ukraine campaign.
Volunteers with the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Alberta Provincial Council (UCC-APC) and Firefighter Aid Ukraine helped sort and prepare the donated supplies. The UCC-APC says the maximum quota for the plane had been reached in less than nine hours after starting the project Thursday evening.
"It's a very extensive amount of product that has come through," said Orysia Boychuk, UCC-APC president, at a media availability late Sunday evening. "We are very grateful and thankful to all the donors."
Premier Jason Kenney helped to prepare and seal a few packages of supplies Sunday that included firefighting gear, tactical vests, and military-style backpacks.
"All Albertans are devastated to see the images of this brutal assault on humanity being led by Vladimir Putin and his forces in Ukraine against an innocent civilian population," Kenney said.
"That thick connection between Alberta and Ukraine means so much to all of us," he added.
Oleksandr Danyleiko, Consul General of Ukraine in Edmonton, said the generosity of Albertans was helping not only supply Ukrainian civilians and forces but feeding their spirit to continue fighting against Russian aggression.
"It's a terrible war," Danyleiko said. "What you can see here, this is great and just very critical and timely support from you Canadians, Ukrainian Canadians, from Alberta.
"It will save lives of our soldiers. It will save lives of our women and children," he added. "Together we will win."
The plane is expected to lift off from the Edmonton International Airport early this week and land in Europe where the donated gear will be sent to Ukrainian forces.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From essential goods to common stocking stuffers, Trudeau offering Canadians temporary tax relief
Canadians will soon receive a temporary tax break on several items, along with a one-time $250 rebate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
She thought her children just had a cough or fever. A mother shares sons' experience with walking pneumonia
A mother shares with CTVNews.ca her family's health scare as medical experts say cases of the disease and other respiratory illnesses have surged, filling up emergency departments nationwide.
Putin says Russia attacked Ukraine with a new missile that he claims the West can't stop
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Thursday that Moscow has tested a new intermediate-range missile in a strike on Ukraine, and he warned that it could use the weapon against countries that have allowed Kyiv to use their missiles to strike Russia.
Service Canada holding back 85K passports amid Canada Post mail strike
Approximately 85,000 new passports are being held back by Service Canada, which stopped mailing them out a week before the nationwide Canada Post strike.
Taylor Swift's motorcade spotted along Toronto's Gardiner Expressway
Taylor Swift is officially back in Toronto for round two. The popstar princess's motorcade was seen driving along the Gardiner Expressway on Tuesday afternoon, making its way to the downtown core ahead of night four of ‘The Eras Tour’ at the Rogers Centre.
Manitoba RCMP issue Canada-wide warrant for Ontario semi-driver charged in deadly crash
Manitoba RCMP have issued a Canada-wide arrest warrant for the semi-driver involved in a crash that killed an eight-year-old girl and her mother.
Here's a list of items that will be GST/HST-free over the holidays
Canadians won’t have to pay GST on a selection of items this holiday season, the prime minister vowed on Thursday.
Mother charged after infant dies in midtown Toronto: police
The mother of an infant who died after being found at an apartment building in midtown Toronto on Wednesday has been charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life.
B.C. man who sold Porsche to scammers shares cautionary tale
A man from B.C.’s Lower Mainland who was scammed while selling his Porsche Cayenne online is sharing his cautionary tale – while calling for increased protections from the government.