Former Vernon city councillor Scott Anderson is set to travel to Ukraine amid the country's war with Russia to deliver medical supplies to soldiers on the eastern front.
Anderson, a former captain with the Canadian Forces Reserves, is a Conservative Party of Canada candidate nominee for the new riding of Vernon-Lake Country-Monashee.
He will fly out on Nov. 15 and return in early December after travelling to Lviv, Kiev and then eastward into the conflict zone. His team's exact route in the conflict zone is not being disclosed due to security concerns.
The trip was arranged through Dr. Matthew Parish, head of the Ukraine Development Trust, a British charity based in Lviv. Anderson will travel with media accreditation from the Lviv Herald.
Anderson will be travelling with British individuals who have specialized army training and extensive wartime experience in Ukraine. While they plan to visit the zero line several times, he anticipates being as safe as possible under the circumstances.
“In one of the surreal twists in this war, some soldiers use an interactive civilian app that’s updated frequently to show where the current zero line is,” said Anderson. “Movements on the front line tend to be small and tactical so we’re unlikely to wander into any surprises.”
Anderson said he has three reasons for embarking on this trip.
“The first is fairly straightforward: to take medical supplies to the front in Ukraine and to make sure they arrive there and aren’t diverted to the black market. Specifically, front line units are short of tourniquets, chest bandages, and IV lines. All of those are readily available in Poland but hard to find in Ukraine. Transporting supplies all the way from Canada doesn’t make sense given air freight charges, so we’ll be buying supplies in Poland and bringing them across from Krakow.
“Second, if I’m chosen by our local members to represent this riding in Canada’s national Parliament, and if it ever becomes necessary to defend Canada in an increasingly unstable world, as both a member of Parliament and a father I refuse to send our young people into a situation I’m unwilling to risk myself,” said Anderson. “And frankly I’d rather try to do something to help instead of just talking about it. There are far too many talkers and not enough doers in the political universe.”
His third reason for going on the mission is to see the situation on the ground first-hand.
“However this war ends, it’s going to take a lot of international cooperation to structure a European peace that works and lasts, and I hope to create ties with academics and experts in Ukraine so they’re willing to lend their experience and knowledge to decision-makers here in Canada when the time comes.”
Anderson’s academic background is in international relations and strategic studies and his military experience includes combat arms (Armoured Reconnaissance) and public affairs.
“21st Century symmetrical warfare is not what we thought it would be. It’s a mixture of trench warfare, limited mobile attack, defence in depth, various levels of air attack, comprehensive surveillance, and in the cities something very close to the infamous battles in and around Stalingrad in 1942-43," Anderson said. "The battlespace is deeper, more varied in character, surreal at times with civilians trying to live normal lives under constant bombardment, and it’s undergoing rapid technological change; in fact everything has changed except the suffering.
"Soldiers suffer, civilians suffer, and society suffers in wars," he continued. “I think it’s important for foreign policy decision-makers to see first-hand the implications of the choices they make whenever possible, because I suspect there would be fewer wars if they did.”
In September, the Wall Street Journal put the number of casualties in the Russia-Ukraine war at one million.
Anderson retired as a captain with the Canadian Forces Reserves after a decade of service and has had several years of graduate study in political studies and strategic studies at the University of Manitoba, the University of British Columbia, the Centre for Defence and Security Studies, and the Defence Public Affairs and Policy Management Learning Centre in Ottawa. The Vernon businessman spent two terms as a city councillor.
Anderson's team is currently fundraising to be able to purchase medical equipment.
“Every dollar we raise will go directly to the soldiers in the form of crucial medical equipment,” he said. “The Ukrainian army is improving its front-line medical capabilities, but some units are short of the basics and that’s how we’re trying to help.”
Anyone who contributes $100 to Anderson's cause will receive a small Canadian flag that Anderson will plant in Kiev's Maidan Nezalezhnosti memorial field (pictured above) alongside thousands of others of different nationalities. Those local to the Vernon area (or willing to travel) can write a message of support or remembrance on their flag.
Every dollar donated will go towards purchasing tourniquets, chest bandages and IV lines for soldiers.
Visit anderson4mp.ca/ukraine-donations to donate by debit, credit or Paypal and include your phone number. Or, send an etransfer to businesswritingplus@shaw.ca and include phone number and name.
To make a cheque or cash donation, call 250-550-5755.
This is not a registered charity and donations are not tax deductible.
Receipts will be issued for all donations over $20.
