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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, M ar ch 3, 20 22 | 6 For the past several nights, Oakville's Town Hall has shone with blue and yellow lights to show solidarity with Ukrainians abroad and within Canada. In a press release issued Friday (Feb. 25), Oakville Mayor Rob Burton said council and the community strongly condemns Rus- sia's unprovoked and un- justified attack on Ukraine's people and sover- eignty. Russia launched a full- scale invasion of the east- ern European country last Thursday (Feb. 24). Burton said Ontario's Big City Mayors, a group comprised of the mayors of Ontario cities with popula- tions of 100,000 or more, unanimously passed a mo- tion on Feb. 25 fully sup- portive of Ukraine's sover- eignty and the strict sanc- tions imposed by the feder- al government on Russia. The motion further called for Canada to wel- come those fleeing the con- flict with open arms. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Ukraine and our town's Ukrainian community dur- ing this deeply troubling time," said Burton. Oakville North-Burling- ton MP Pam Damoff said Russian President Vladi- mir Putin has needlessly put the lives of innocent people at risk, violated Rus- sia's international treaties, and launched the greatest threat to European stabili- ty since the Second World War. She said Canada has im- posed new sanctions in re- sponse to the invasion, in- cluding restrictions on 31 individuals who are key members of Putin's inner circle, close contacts and family members of some in- dividuals already sanc- tioned by Canada, and 27 key financial institutions. The Government of Can- ada is also taking steps to make it easier and faster for Canadian citizens, per- manent residents, and their accompanying imme- diate family members to re- turn to Canada, said Da- moff. The Oakville North- Burlington MP said the Ca- nadian government will al- so match every donation people make to the Canadi- an Red Cross Ukraine Hu- manitarian Crisis Appeal, up to $10 million. Canada has already an- nounced $50 million in aid and $620 million in sover- eign loans to Ukraine's gov- ernment. Oakville MP and Minis- ter of National Defence An- ita Anand said recently that Canada will also send up to 460 additional mili- tary personnel to join the 800 Canadian soldiers cur- rently deployed in Europe in support of the North At- lantic Treaty Organization. Anand said Canada has also authorized approxi- mately 3,400 Canadian Armed Forces personnel across all branches of the service to deploy to the NATO Response Force should they be required by NATO. Canadians wishing to make a donation to the Red Cross Ukraine Humanitar- ian Crisis Appeal can do so online at www.redcross.ca or by calling 1-800-418-1111. TOWN HALL LIT UP FOR UKRAINE NEWS SHOW OF SOLIDARITY FOLLOWING RUSSIA'S ATTACK "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Ukraine and our town's Ukrainian community during this deeply troubling time." Oakville Mayor Rob Burton Oakville's Town Hall is lit blue and yellow to show solidarity with Ukrainians abroad and across Canada. Graham Paine/Metroland