If you’re in proximity to the Burrard Bridge in Vancouver on Thursday evening and are wondering why there are so many shining lights, we’ve got answers.
In an event to mark Ukraine’s Unity Day, potentially over 100 people will take to the Burrard Bridge, and attendees are encouraged to bring flashlights, battery-powered candles, phone lights, “or other sources of illumination to symbolize the daily reality faced by millions of Ukrainians living through prolonged power outages.”
The Vancouver event is called Bridge of Unity.
“Burrard Bridge was chosen deliberately for its symbolism — connecting two shores, much like Ukraine’s Unity Day commemorates the unification of the country and the strength found in collective resilience,” a press release for the event states.
The press release from the Ukrainian Canadian Congress goes on to say that people in Ukraine are currently facing a humanitarian crisis.
The event hopes to draw attention to “drawing winter blackouts and humanitarian suffering in Ukraine caused by sustained Russian attacks on civilian energy infrastructure.”
“This winter, attacks on power plants and grids have left millions of Ukrainians without electricity, heating, or water in -17°C temperatures — a humanitarian crisis in which cold and darkness have been weaponized,” said Kateryna Naskalova, leader of UA.Rally and member of the Cultural and Socio-Political Event Committee of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Vancouver.
“Lighting Burrard Bridge on Unity Day is our way to show solidarity and ensure these realities are seen,” she added.
The event begins at 5:30 p.m., and along with lights, attendees are encouraged to bring flags and supportive signs.