Good morning, everyone.
Canada is home to the second largest diaspora of Ukrainians in the world, and Alberta could be seen as the heart of that population.
So when Russia invaded Ukraine in February, 2022, the war hit close to home for many in the province. Pierogi dinners popped up in small towns and cities around Alberta. And doors were swung open as refugees fleeing the Russian advancements sought shelter.
But some Canadians stepped up and put everything on the line.
Mackenzie Hughes, a 23-year-old from Calgary, was one of them.
Hughes arrived in Ukraine in August of 2022, helping his father, Paul, who had launched a humanitarian organization called Helping Ukraine Grassroots Support, or HUGS for short. While he first spent his time delivering humanitarian supplies, he had his eyes set on joining an international military unit. And when one of his best friends was killed in the war, he felt compelled to fight.
Hughes said he was inspired by his dad. “He always taught me to stand up to bullies, you know, help the little guy,” he said.
But Hughes is now working on recovery at a hospital in Kyiv after a Russian drone attacked his position, pinning him under a van and severely burning his legs.
Doctors have estimated that just over a quarter of his body is covered in burns. But despite the injuries, Hughes is vowing to return to the fight once he’s recovered.
“I’m not going to sit in Lviv or Kyiv and do nothing while there’s a war going on, you know? That’s outrageous behaviour,” he told The Globe’s Janice Dickson. “Every day somebody’s dying, getting killed by a Russian rocket or a Russian artillery shell, and it’s super sad to even think about, but you see it every day, you hear about it every day.”
A number of Canadians have joined the fight in Ukraine, but there is no official count of how many are serving in volunteer units, or have been injured or killed there. Global Affairs Canada said it is aware of 25 Canadians who have died in Ukraine since the full-scale invasion began on Feb. 24, 2022. This figure includes all causes of death.
Hughes said after he was pinned in the attack, he thought he was trapped and would be engulfed by the growing fire.
“We’re panicking and trying to get the vehicle off of me and it just wasn’t happening and the fire reached my legs. My legs caught fire, and I thought I was going to be stuck and burned to death, so I turned to my teammates and asked them to shoot me,” he said.
One of his comrades pulled him to safety and he was eventually evacuated.
Hughes is continuing his rehabilitation, his father and girlfriend at his side.
“He’s just such an amazing young person and I love him so much and I’m so proud of him and Canadians should be proud of him. Canadians should be really proud of him because our country does a lot of talking and here’s a young man that’s doing the walking,” Paul Hughes said. “Mac Hughes is a war hero here and he’s a war hero back home and he deserves that recognition.”
This is the weekly Alberta newsletter written by Alberta Bureau Chief Mark Iype. If you’re reading this on the web, or it was forwarded to you from someone else, you can sign up for it and all Globe newsletters here.