Building on a connection made six years ago, Council has struck a Friendship City Agreement with Krasyliv, a town of around 18,000 in western Ukraine.

Mayor Ferguson and the Chief Administrative Officer will sign a Friendship City Agreement between the Corporation of the County of Prince Edward and Krasyliv, Ukraine.

Staff set aside $5,000 in the 2026 municipal operating budget to support the activities of the Krasyliv Friendship City program.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, Council passed a resolution directing staff to investigate a twin-city relationship between the County and a community in Ukraine of comparable size.

The selected community has a connection to a delegation of Ukrainians who visited the County in 2019.

Vice Chair of the Krasyliv Friendship Working Group Roxanne MacKenzie explained to Council that the collective of service club members, volunteers and councillors are brainstorming how to help. 

The group has already spoken to Krasyliv officials about ways folks in Prince Edward County could support the Ukrainian community.

There is a need for laptops students can take into bomb shelters so they can continue their education. Sports equipment, such as bicycles, soccerballs and basketballs, is also in demand.

“Our group discussed using European organizations who could purchase the items and deliver them, thereby reducing cost. There is a Ukrainian Rotary club we can link with as well as German Amazon,” noted Ms. MacKenzie.

Another working group member and former educator, Kathy Reed, suggested students from local schools could write letters to their cohorts in Krasyliv. Ukrainian students could improve their English with support from children their own age.

Russian Aggression 

Councillor Bill Roberts is a member of the working group, which is apolitical. Contributions will not be directed to the war effort. But Mr. Roberts noted Vladimir Putin has ratcheted up provocations recently in Poland, Estonia, Norway and Romania, testing NATO’s resolve and making it clear Russia is willing to risk confrontation.

“But tonight, by doing this, we do our little bit, and all those little bits add up. Ours is for the town of Krasyliv and it gives evidence of our support and friendship, not just to that city, but to Ukraine and its struggle on our behalf, defending the fundamentals of democracy,” he said.

Mr. Roberts noted Russia fights this war through war crimes. There have been over 50,000 deliberate attacks on civilian targets, schools, hospitals, medical facilities, and the energy grid. Some reports indicate Russia has abducted over 200,000 Ukrainian children.

While Krasyliv is some distance from the day-to-day fighting, Russian bombs are targeting Lviv, just 235 km away.

Seed Money

The majority of council were in favour. But Ameliasburgh’s Roy Pennell balked at the County’s monetary contribution.

“I don’t believe it should come directly from taxpayers…I would support everything other than promising money that we may not have come budget time,” he said.

Programs & Services Assistant Sarah Harvey said the request was for less than $5,000, seed money for the working group to advertise fundraisers and subsidize costs related to translations and administrative  fees.

Mayor Ferguson and Councillors MacNaughton, Grosso, Engelsdorfer, Braney, Branderhorst, St-Jean, Maynard, Nieman and Roberts were in favour. Councillors Pennell and Harrison were opposed.