Former Drumheller Mayor Terry Yemen has travelled multiple times to the Ukraine since 2012 as an independent observer to ensure democracy in the country’s presidential elections.
The Mail caught up with Mr. Yemen following the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“I have been in contact with some of the people I worked with during my tours in the Ukraine,” Mr. Yemen tells the Mail. “Obviously they’re very concerned and very afraid of the current action Russia is taking.”
Mr. Yemen was first selected to observe the Ukrainian elections in October 2012 and was deployed to a disputed area along the eastern border near Russia.
In total, Mr. Yemen was involved in about six deployments to the eastern European country and got to travel all across the Ukraine. He says the Ukrainian people were happy to have international observers at the elections.
“I think there was something like a 76 per cent turn out for voting. Quite an accomplishment when you think most of the people walked to the polling stations,” Mr. Yemen said.
He adds Drumheller has a long history with Ukraine dating back to the early coal-mining days. Many hard-working Ukrainians were among those who immigrated to the valley for work and were integral in settling and shaping the community.
“I hope if there’s a need in the future, Drumheller will once again open its arms to these people,” he says.