Yesterday, I was at Centennial Park for the 35th Ukrainian Independence Day celebration, a beautiful and powerful gathering of Ukrainian Canadians and their allies.
Something struck me during the opening ceremonies: there were voices from across our political landscape coming together to stand with the Ukrainian community. There were greetings and messages representing all levels of government, including a message on behalf of the Prime Minister. Members of provincial opposition parties were on stage to speak. The Mayor was there and multiple mayoral candidates were there too. A City Councillor from Mississauga, representing a community just across Etobicoke Creek, was there to stand with the Ukrainian community.
That matters because this wasn’t simply a festival. It was a celebration of Ukrainian independence at a time when Ukraine is still fighting for its survival, its sovereignty and its freedom. It reiterated something I believe very strongly: representation means showing up.
It means being visible and present in the community you were elected to represent. It means listening, standing beside people and letting them know that their community matters, especially at moments that carry significance far beyond a single day or event.
So I was struck by the absence of an official greeting from the local City Councillor for the community where this celebration was taking place. I’m not interested in making this about partisan politics. In fact, yesterday was a wonderful example of what happens when we put politics aside and come together. But I do believe the people of Etobicoke Centre deserve to see their local municipal representative show up when it matters.
Centennial Park is often described as one of Etobicoke’s jewels. Yesterday, that jewel was filled with a community celebrating its heritage, its independence and its resilience.
The local councillor should be there to be an active member in the official program. Not because they agree with everyone, not because it is politically convenient, but because this is their community.
That is what representation should look like.
Slava Ukraini
Thank you to the Ukrainian Canadian Congress - Toronto Branch and all the volunteers; for all the work that was put into planning and running such an outstanding event.
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