It has been a little over a year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. At a regular city council meeting on April 4, George Atamanenko suggested Williams Lake look at ways to continue to show support for Ukraine.
Atamanenko, who is of Ukrainian descent, was initially asking for Williams Lake to become a sister city to a city in Ukraine, wanting to find new ways to help support Ukraine and its people during the ongoing conflict.
Council liked the idea, but questioned how practical working towards a sister city designation would be because normally those type of arrangements involve a lot of communication and even visitation with the potential sister city.
Due to both logistical problems involved and Ukraine municipality, council moved to have staff create a report providing more information on what is involved in forming a sister city and look at other possible ways to show and send support.
Atamenenko said he wanted “to promote peace through people” and he was open to other ideas if the creation of a sister city was not possible.
A fundraiser Atamenanko has been leading, in partnership with Sage Birchwater, selling copies of the book 14 Months on Franz Joseph Land. The book is a translation of the journals of Ukrainian scientist Mykhailo Ivanychuk, translated from its original Russian by Atamenanko’s late wife, Gloria Atamanenko.
The fundraiser has so far sold over 100 books to about 95 people and raised around $2,900 which is being sent to Firefighter Aid Ukraine.
To order a book for $20 or find out more, contact sagebirchwater@shaw.ca
READ MORE: Cariboo-Chilcotin men team up to raise funds for Ukraine through book sales
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