By Sebastian Kanally, Times Chronicle

Oliver will extend $500 in support to the Ukraine Nightingale Project after a month of trying to gather information on their support in the town. 

On June 3, Oliver council decided on the reduced amount of $500 to offset the cost of the Venables Theatre venue for the Tryzub Ukrainian Dance fundraiser that took place on May 25. 

The total cost of the theatre rental and additional costs brought the total cost to $1,536. 

The Ukraine Nightingale Project (UNP) originally asked for a $3,000 Grant in Aid to support their efforts in 2024, which fell on council’s table back on April 22, then again on May 13, and finally for a last time on June 3. 

On both April 22 and May 13, Oliver town council was unwilling to extend support before they gathered more information on what work the organization was doing in the Town of Oliver itself. Their application stated that they were using the funds to help families in the South Okanagan with no specification about Oliver. 

Councillor Petra Veintimilla summed up the sentiment of council when she explained: “There is lots of good information here, but nothing specific to our community, I think we can all agree this is an incredibly worthwhile cause, but it would be really nice to know if there are any individuals or families currently in our community being helped or how many have been helped over the last year.”

The UNP did later clarify that they have provided direct support to four families in the Town of Oliver out of the surplus from last year’s events. 

The UNP raised $17,200 last year, and the town provided $2,500 in support for their two dance performances in 2023. The non-profit society explained in their application that receiving sponsorship will ensure all funds raised will go towards directly supporting displaced Ukrainians trying to establish themselves in the South Okanagan. 

One of the UNP policies directs support to new arrivals for their Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) visas. They also provide dental support, mental health support and materials, and tuition refunds among other things. 

As a result of the Town of Oliver approving a $500 Grant in Aid, it leaves $9,519 in the Grant in Aid budget for the rest of the year. 

For more information visit the Ukraine Nightingale Project.