ANTIGONISH: The Town of Antigonish, in partnership with the Municipality of the County of Antigonish and StFX University, are donating a combined $25,000 to the Canadian Red Cross Ukrainian Crisis Appeal Fund.
Following the town’s regular council meeting on March 21, Mayor Laurie Boucher told reporters the town and county are each pledging $8,500, while StFX would be contributing $8,000.
“So it’ll be a three-way donation; the town and county got together, I was talking to Owen and we wanted to do something,” Boucher said. “We just proposed it to council, and people were very happy that we supported the Red Cross and their endeavours for Ukraine.”
The mayor explained it’s no secret the town, county, and the university has been working well together, and they figured rather than doing things singularly, they wanted to take a united stand.
During his community enhancement report, Town Councillor Andrew Murray presented a plan to council to plant blue and yellow flowers this summer in the town’s planter boxes and hanger baskets, as a show of support for, and solidarity with Ukraine.
“Over the past two weeks, I’ve had so many requests from people wanting to help,” Boucher said. “And putting colourful flowers on our bridges or in our planters, doesn’t necessarily help the situation but what it does, does is show solidarity and we’re able to do that.”
During her committee report, Town Councillor Mary Ferrell provided council with the information that a Ukrainian woman, who escaped the country is scheduled to move to Antigonish on March 31 to join her family who moved to the area in 2020.
Ending the council meeting, senior staff stood for a moment of silence honouring the situation that’s developing in Ukraine.
Earlier this month, in a special council meeting, the Municipality of the District of Guysborough (MODG) passed a motion of their own to support the fund in the tune of $25,000, while also asking other municipalities to make a financial contribution.