What began two decades ago with a neighbour’s simple gift has grown into a flourishing community cause. Mitchell Omichinski of Portage la Prairie has been cultivating canna lilies for 20 years—two primary varieties passed on by a close friend who passed away earlier this year. Today, those same rhizomes power a grassroots fundraiser called Canna for Charity.
The lilies, which cannot survive Manitoba’s winters, are dug up each fall and stored. With help from United Church volunteers, 72 banana boxes of bulbs were packed in peat moss and kept in a heated barn through the cold months. This spring, they were carefully sorted and repackaged for sale.
Flowers funding aid abroad and at home
Now in its third year, Canna for Charity raises funds to support both humanitarian aid in Ukraine and Ukrainian resettlement efforts locally in Portage.
“We call ourselves Canna for Charity now. The war is still going on, and you hear all these horror stories,” says Omichinski.
“We raised funds. The first year we sent our funds through the United Church, through charities that direct those funds to humanitarian aid in Ukraine.”
“The next year we gave a check to the local group here for the resettlement of Ukrainians in the area.”
“This year we’re planning to split it between that and also sending funds through the United Church to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.”
Campaign rooted in community support
Omichinski says this year’s goal is to raise $5,000—modest but meaningful. Over the last two seasons, the project raised between $6,000 and $7,000.
Some supporters give without wanting bulbs in return. To honour those donations, the group is planting “donor gardens” throughout Portage in highly visible spots.
“There is such a need,” Omichinski adds.
Local partnerships help fuel the effort. Printing is done through HB Bookstore at Baker Colony, the United Church manages donations and sales, and retail partners include the Co-op, Solomon’s, Rona, and Canadian Tire.
Sales officially launched Easter weekend with deliveries to Canadian Tire and Solomon’s. Upcoming Co-op sale dates are scheduled throughout May and June, with orders also available through the United Church office at 857-4471.
“Our next date at the co-op... it’ll be a Saturday, May 3rd,” Omichinski notes. “We’ll have a table at the co-op and be pretty visible as to what we’re doing.”
Royal blooms bring colour and cause together
New this season are three striking varieties named for royalty. The Canna Prince reaches five to six feet with dark foliage. The Canna Queen grows slightly shorter with green leaves. The Canna Duke, standing two to three feet tall, shares the same vibrant reddish-orange bloom. All three flower from late July through the first frost.
“They all have the striking flower spike, the orange, reddish-orange flower spike, which you can expect from late July right through August, right up to freeze-up,” Omichinski continues.
He emphasizes that he receives no personal benefit—his role is simply to spread beauty and support a cause that matters deeply to his heart.
Personal stories underline the need
Among those impacted by the ongoing war is Emma Vershenina, a Ukrainian newcomer to Portage who recently lost her 88-year-old mother, Bella Herasimova. The two arrived after their home in eastern Ukraine was destroyed in the conflict.
“Their house in Ukraine, in the eastern part of Ukraine, was completely ruined. It could not be restored. It could not be renovated. Like, it's gone forever,” says Iryna Braun, a local community advocate who shared their story.
Emma had been the family’s sole provider, working at Tim Hortons, but broke her leg this past winter, requiring full joint replacement. With no income and her mother’s funeral expenses now looming, the situation has become dire.
“Her mom died at the age of 88, and a funeral has many expenses,” Braun says. “There are some expenses that are falling on Emma’s shoulders. And because she’s not working... we are asking everyone to be involved as much as you can and to try to help her to recover.”
She adds the province graciously was able to cover the majority of the funeral expenses, for which the family is greatly appreciative.
A history of hardship across generations
Braun notes Bella’s life tells a broader story—one that echoes the experience of many Ukrainians who now find themselves displaced in Canada.
“She still remembers World War II.”
“They were living close to camp of prisoners... her childhood was, like, followed by hunger.”
“In 2014... she experienced the tanks shooting their buildings where they were living.”
“She was just, like, trying to escape from the explosive materials... and she completely lost her hearing.”
Having lived through three separate wars, Bella passed away far from her home and family. Her death, while not tragic by age, is made heartbreaking by the circumstances.
“To die far away from your home, being displaced, being kicked out by invaders from your own house, it is a tragedy,” Braun adds.
A GoFundMe campaign is being launched to help cover Emma’s remaining funeral and living expenses while she undergoes rehabilitation.
“There are no small donations. All donations are important, and we pray no one is in a situation like Emma is now.”
A flower with a message
Each canna bulb sold—and each bloom planted—serves as a reminder of the resilience, grief, and hope woven into the lives of those displaced by war. Through Canna for Charity, a Portage community is not just planting flowers, but sowing seeds of compassion.