Ukrainian refugees invited to share at Niverville's Remembrance Day service

A Ukrainian refugee family will present their story at this year’s Remembrance Day Service in Niverville. 

Organizer Natalie Batkis says they always try to have an educational component in their service and notes, this year, they wanted to focus on the war in Ukraine. 

“We have the Leushko family, they are a refugee family from Ukraine and they are going to speak to us about what it was like living in Ukraine just before they left and why they had to leave their country and talk about what it is like to live in a war.” 

Batkis says it is incredibly easy to lose perspective living in a relatively peaceful place like Canada. 

“We are so fortunate, we lose touch with the fact that in a lot of places in the world, there is still a lot of conflict and it is very real . We really want people to understand that and take that with them. This is not something that we are remembering really, it is something that is happening currently in our world.” 

Niverville’s Remembrance Day service will take place at the Niverville Heritage Centre at 10 A.M. on Friday with a community lunch to follow. 

In the years leading up to COVID, Batkis says they would normally expect between 700 and 800 people to attend the annual Remembrance Day Service. 

She notes the last few years have been tough. “It was different having it outside, we couldn’t do much but at least it was something. To be able to go back to something more normal and having more people involved again, it is exciting.” 

A number of other Remembrance Day services will also be held in the Southeast including: 

• Steinbach - The service is taking place at the Pat Porter Active Living Centre, beginning at 10:45am. You are asked to arrive early. 
• St Pierre - The service is taking place at the St Pierre Rec Centre & Community Hall. The ceremony starts at 10:45am. Wreaths will then be laid at the Cenotaph at the centre of town.   
• RM of Tache / Landmark - The service is happening at the Heartland Church, Landmark, starting at 10:30am. There will be coffee, hot chocolate and snacks following the service.