Old fishing nets used on the coast of B.C. have been collected by the Steveston Harbour Authority, and repurposed to camouflage medics and field hospitals in Ukraine, a country at war with Russia.
Brent Mudry – with his non-profit Defend Ukraine Foundation – has sent thousands of pounds of fishing nets to the war-torn country where locals then weave pieces of cloth into them to create camouflage nets to place over ambulances and field hospital tents to hide them from the enemy.
“It’s almost like a knitting bee,” Mudry said of the process.
What colour cloth is used for the camouflage depends on the season – white in winter and greens and browns in the fall.
Sometimes, if they’re in a hurry, the fishing nets are sent out to the frontline and sticks and leaves are woven into them.
Mudry noted medics, ambulances and field hospitals have been targeted by Russian forces, something that goes against the Geneva Conventions.
Last fall, North Shore Rescue donated a used tent that was shipped off to Ukraine by Defend Ukraine. Lo and behold, it arrived just in time as a field hospital had once again been targeted and desperately needed a new tent.
For Mudry, who recently retired from the RCMP, helping Ukraine is personal as his family is partly from the Eastern European country.
“It’s been a blur since March of last year,” Mudry said.
“The stuff is so desperately needed, I want to do more and more,” he added.
Mudry has high praise for the staff at the Steveston Harbour Authority who has not only collected the fishing nets but has also allowed them to use their space to pack their containers.
There have been 10 shipments so far - the latest was Project Easter, which included the fishing nets.
This arrived in Kiev about two weeks ago.
Each campaign has a unique name – last Christmas it was Project Frozen, and others have been given names like Project Padre and Project Bethume.
Doing one project at a time allows donors to see directly where their money is going, Mudry explained.
There have been some surprise donations, for example, the foundation received a cheque for $2,800 out of the blue from a legion in Manitoba.
Other assistance has come in the way of free shipping from Vancouver to Montreal, covered by CP Rail, something Mudry estimates would cost between $2,400 and $2,800.
Project Easter’s container was half filled with fishing nets – about 20 totes weighing about 500 to 600 pounds each.
The other half of the container included combat medic supplies such as wheelchairs, walkers, metal rescue basket stretchers, boot casts and crutches – worth $10,000.
Also included in the shipment were donations of clothing, blankets and toys collected by the Yalenka Ukrainian Dancers in Prince George.
When the shipments arrive in Ukraine, they are met with volunteers and local NGOs who distribute the contents to where they’re needed.
Through his connections in Ukraine, Mudry sees the on-going need for medical supplies and more camouflage.
Anyone wanting to donate to Defend Ukraine Foundation can contact Mudry at [email protected].
