Photo Credit: Green Vehicle Disposal

 City Of Toronto Donating Four Vehicles To Aid Ukraine

Friday, 29 July 2022 04:33.PM

On July 19, Toronto City Council authorized the City to donate two end-of-life vehicles from Fleet Services to the Ukrainian government for humanitarian purposes: http://app.toronto.ca/tmm.... Toronto Paramedic Services was also able to donate two additional end-of-life emergency response vehicles equipped with operational lights, sirens and basic first aid supplies.

The vehicles will be used to respond to emergencies in Ukraine. The Atlantic Ukrainian Association, at the request of the Embassy of Ukraine in Canada, will handle all matters related to shipping the donated vehicles to Ukraine.

This donation is one of the many actions and services the City has mobilized to assist those affected by the ongoing war in Ukraine. Over the last few months, the City has worked with Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) municipalities to develop a regional plan to provide temporary housing, including onsite and offsite services across the region, to Ukrainian arrivals with no other housing option.

In addition to the GTHA regional plan, the City is actively supporting Ukrainian arrivals to Toronto and has been essential in ensuring the ongoing local success of the national effort to support Ukrainians. This work, which began soon after the conflict in Ukraine started, includes:

• Intergovernmental engagement to help ensure all levels of government are working together to assist people and families from Ukraine arriving at Pearson Airport
• Information sharing and outreach between response partners such as GTHA municipalities and the local Red Cross
• Establishment of an internal City committee, led by the Office of Emergency Management, to better coordinate available resources in Toronto
• Establishment of an external task force made up of local community immigration organizations, humanitarian groups, volunteer organizations, provincial ministries and federal departments
• Strengthening collaboration with service providers and key organizations in Toronto's Ukrainian community
• Identification of gaps in settlement support systems and opportunities to address them so that Ukrainian people and families arriving in Toronto can get access to housing and living essentials as soon as possible

Other direct municipal supports and services through the City for people in Toronto fleeing Ukraine include processing applications for emergency financial assistance, child care subsidies and transit discounts.

Federal government data indicates that more than 47,000 people from Ukraine have arrived in Canada since March 17, with close to 26,000 Ukrainians making their first point of entry in Ontario. Federal data shows that since June, anywhere from 1,500 to 2,200 Ukrainians have arrived directly in Ontario from overseas each week, almost entirely through Toronto Pearson Airport. To date, the Province has issued nearly 18,000 Ontario Health Insurance Program Cards, with most recipients in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

For more information on City mobilization efforts for Ukrainian arrival and volunteer and donation opportunities, visit www.toronto.ca/Ukraine.

“We continue to stand with the people of Ukraine and with our Ukrainian-Canadian community. We are proud to make this donation to help humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. I will continue to work with my counterparts at all levels of government to ensure Toronto is supporting Ukrainians arriving here.”
– Mayor John Tory

“Toronto and Kyiv enjoy special relations of a sistership, and today’s announcement proves the significance of such ties. The destination points of these vehicles are medical centers in the Kyiv region – places near Bucha, Vasylkiv and Vyshgorod. You are very well aware of the names of these locations now from the news reports. These are the places severely damaged by the Russian occupation. On the most critical days, you help with the most critical needs. Grateful to the City of Toronto, to Mayor John Tory for this decision.”
– Yulia Kovaliv, Ukrainian Ambassador to Canada

“Since 2012, Toronto Paramedic Services has donated ten decommissioned emergency vehicles to support humanitarian efforts in various parts of the world. I'm incredibly proud of the hard work of our staff who have made this particular donation possible – showing that our care and compassion touch the lives of people in Toronto and beyond.”
– Chief Paul Raftis, Toronto Paramedic Services

“By donating end-of-life vehicles originally intended for auction at no cost to the Ukrainian government, the City will aid humanitarian efforts on the ground in Ukraine. This is one of several initiatives the City has undertaken to demonstrate Toronto’s solidarity with Ukraine.”
– David Jollimore, General Manager of Fleet Services, City of Toronto

“By donating end-of-life vehicles originally intended for auction at no cost to the Ukrainian government, the City will aid humanitarian efforts on the ground in Ukraine. This is one of several initiatives the City has undertaken to demonstrate Toronto’s solidarity with Ukraine.”
– David Jollimore, General Manager of Fleet Services, City of Toronto

“The Ukrainian Canadian Toronto community is very grateful for the donation of 4 vehicles from the city of Toronto in support of Ukraine during the illegal and unprovoked invasion by Russia. We pray that this donation saves many lives. We thank Mayor Tory for standing with Ukraine.”
– Peter Schturyn, President of Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC)

SOURCE: City of Toronto

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