A small sign of support has a huge impact

Perhaps for someone it is just a two colour fabric — uniform rectangles, blue at the top and yellow at the bottom. For many it is a symbol of freedom and dignity — the national flag of Ukraine.

From the beginning of the full-scale invasion, about 1,500 Ukrainians came to Victoria, fleeing the terrible Russian war in Ukraine. Many have lost their home and possessions, some have lost someone beloved, and most of us could not even imagine that one day we would arrive on Vancouver Island.

One of the first things that surprised me in Victoria was the quantity of Ukrainian flags: a huge one in front of the Saanich municipality office; two big flags, Canadian and Ukrainian, on a house; a small sticker on a car; tiny blue and yellow ribbons tied on a backpack.

Do you know how crucial that small sign of support is? Maybe not every Ukrainian will dare to approach to you on the street to express our enormous gratitude.

However, we, indeed, feel safer when we see our national flag because it is a testament of unity of different people on the side of good; moreover, it is an assurance of the victory of democracy, the Ukrainian victory; finally, it is a reminder about home to which many of us strive to return.

On behalf of Ukrainians I would like to say thank you to Canadians for both visible, in particular the blue and yellow, and invisible signs of support.

Olha Chaplia Victoria