OUTLOOK - A special ceremony is being planned to honour the memory and the contributions of a local man this coming weekend.
The life of Private Winton 'Bud' Hardy, 41, who lived in Outlook with his family before enlisting in order to head off to the Ukraine to aid in the combat effort against Russian forces, will be memorialized with a medal ceremony and a celebration of life event.
The event will take place this coming Sunday afternoon, April 13 at 2 p.m. at the Outlook Legion Hall.
The ceremony is a collaboration between the Ukrainian War Veterans Association of Canada and the Saskatoon branch of the UCC National - Ukrainian Canadian Congress. During the event, Hardy's family will be presented with the Ukrainian Canadian Sacrifice Medal in honor of their late son and brother.
Bud was serving as a combat medic on the front lines in the town of Staromaiorske and fighting with the International Legion of Territorial Defense of Ukraine when he and another Canadian were killed by a Russian FPV drone strike on June 10 of last year.
What followed was an emotionally-charged search for both answers and a sense of closure by Hardy's younger brother Will, who spoke openly and honestly with this reporter about his brother's life and his desire to serve in the story, ''I'm absolutely proud of my brother': Outlook man killed in Ukraine/Russia conflict', which was published on Â鶹ÊÓƵ.ca and in the pages of The Outlook newspaper last August. Read the full story HERE
Now, ten months after losing his older brother, Will says he's found some solace and even some comfort in the fact that Bud's efforts are being recognized.
"My heart is happy that he is getting a medal for sacrificing himself to protect the innocent," he said. "I'm extremely happy that there will be some official recognition for what he accomplished in Ukraine."
Through it all, from the heartache of losing Bud to the efforts made to reclaim his belongings, and through the news that his brother will now be memorialized with this special event, Hardy says that his family will likely enjoy some comfort in knowing that his brother's efforts in combat are being honored.
"Planning the event is a group effort from all of us," said Will. "I think my family will hopefully and finally have some type of closure. I'm still very, absolutely proud of Bud for saving peoples' lives. He died a hero, and that's how I'll always remember him."
The ceremony on Sunday is open to the public.
