How a Transcona councillor wants the city to help Ukraine

A Winnipeg city councillor wants to create a Winnipeg-Ukraine humanitarian fund, with the city matching donations one-to-one.

Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona) will put forward the resolution at a Thursday council meeting. He proposes the city accept donations locally and match whatever comes in.

From there, all donated funds would be transferred to non-profit organizations in Ukraine on a monthly basis to aid humanitarian efforts.

A motion drafted by Transcona city councillor Russ Wyatt said Winnipeg has a 'moral necessity' to support its Ukrainian population, noting that the city boasts the largest Ukrainian population per capita in Canada.

He hopes Mayor Scott Gillingham and council will throw their support behind the motion, setting a trend for the rest of the country.

“If we can do something like that here in Winnipeg, could you only imagine if other municipalities across Canada, there's literally thousands of municipalities, copy something like this to support the Ukrainian cause?” he said.

“I think it's important to stand with them at this time in their crisis.”

Wyatt proposes the fund operate for a year or until the war between Russia and Ukraine ends.

The motion will go before city council on Thursday.