QUEENS PARK – Ontario Premier Doug Ford has issued the following statement, delivered at Queen’s Park on the ongoing invasion by Russia into the Ukraine:
“There are certain dates that will be forever printed in our history books… dates that will be forever etched into our memories…
June 28th, 1914…
September 1st, 1939…
We must pray that February 24th, 2022, isn’t next.
Last night, we witnessed a violent attack on a sovereign nation by a despot, a thug.
We witnessed Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression begin in Ukraine.
The bonds between Ukraine and Canada run deep.
For without the Ukrainian people…
Their resiliency…
Their bravery…
Their strength…
Their willingness to fight for their family and friends…
The Canada we know and love today, would not be the same.
The food that feeds our families…
It’s farmed by grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Ukrainian immigrants… who left aggression and poverty to settle the Canadian West.
Our greatest athletes… like Gretzky…
Our greatest entertainers… like Trebek…
Our greatest voices… like Bachman…
Our greatest scholars and scientists…like Dr. Bondar…
Ukrainian-Canadians.
We’ve cheered them on…we’ve laughed and sang along…together, we’ve touched the heavens.
They left a permanent mark on Canadian history.
They left a permanent mark on our society.
For again, without Ukraine…
The Canada we know and love today, would not be the same.
And because of that…
We will be forever tied together…
As two nations…
An ocean apart…
But forever one.
Canada shall never waver in standing against tyranny.
Canada shall never waver in defending democracy.
Canada shall never waver in our support of Ukraine.
As Putin’s aggression light up the skies of Kiev…
They will see the strength of the Ukrainian people emerge from the darkness.
We must ensure the Ukrainian flag flies high above the skyline.
The blue and yellow must be the last colours the invaders see.
Slava Ukraini.
Glory to Ukraine.
Glory to the heroes.
