Winnipeg, Lviv renew 50-year ‘sister city’ bond

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 22/11/2023 (678 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The effects of war have made prosthetics and surgeries key priorities for the mayor of Lviv, Ukraine, who shared his experiences at Winnipeg City Hall Wednesday.

“The Russian invasion totally changed my life and the lives of my citizens… 30,000 of my citizens, today are on the front line,” said Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyy.

Sadovyy said his city has hosted millions of Ukrainians since Russia invaded the country in February 2022, adding that 70,000 Ukrainians need new prosthetics today.

“It’s a huge problem… I must think about surgery… about psychological, physical, social (effects),” he said.

Sadovyy made the comments during a ceremony just before the City of Winnipeg renewed its sister-city friendship agreement with Lviv. The 50th anniversary of the original agreement will be marked on Nov. 26.

Sadovyy shared a presentation about the UNBROKEN National Rehabilitation Centre in Lviv, which provides psychological and physical care to adults and children affected by battle. UNBROKEN has helped more than 80,000 patients since the beginning of the war, by providing surgery and prosthetics, as well as mental health supports, its website says.

Mayor Scott Gillingham recently donated $15,000 to the cause from his office budget.

For this, Sadovyy said Ukrainians feel the support of Winnipeg.

The war was mentioned several times in the otherwise celebratory gathering. Sadovyy included a piece of art created by children, who had painted a fragment of a Russian missile, as one of a few gifts to the city to mark the occasion.

The sister-city “friendship agreement” was originally signed on Nov. 26, 1973.

On Wednesday, Gillingham said the Lviv delegation’s decision to travel to Winnipeg is evidence of the strong bonds between the two cities and their countries.

“The fact that they have come to join us here in the midst of war speaks volumes… We have deep ties to this great nation. Now more than ever it’s important that we as Winnipeggers… stand firmly with them with unwavering support as they defend their nation,” he said.

The city has added the honorary street name “Lviv Way” to Alexander Avenue (from Main to Lily streets) to acknowledge the anniversary.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

X: @joyanne_pursaga