Historia

Grande Prairie to miasto położone w prowincji Alberta, 460 km na północny zachód od Edmonton. Jak sama nazwa wskazuje, rozpościera się ono na rozległej prerii, a jego powstanie wiąże się z rozwojem handlu towarów miedzy rdzenną ludnością indiańską przedstawicielami Hudson 's Bay Company oraz nowo zasiedlającymi się mieszkańcami. Rozkwit miasta możliwy był dzięki rozbudowie linii kolejowej i dróg, a także powstaniu niezbędnych instytucji. Pośród ludności ściągającej tłumnie w strony Peace Region znalazło się wielu Polaków, którzy zostali zmuszeni do emigracji po pierwszej wojnie światowej. Kolebką Polonii stało się Webster - mała miejscowość położona zaledwie 27 km na północny wschód od Grande Prairie. Już w drugiej dekadzie dwudziestego wieku zaczęły się tu osiedlać polskie rodziny, dla których początki życia na kanadyjskiej ziemi były bardzo trudne. Pierwsi polscy przybysze w rejonie Webster zamieszkiwali na wykupionych przez siebie działkach w środku lasu. Musieli się oni wykazać wielka silą woli, nakładem pracy i poświeceniem, by uczynić ten mały kawałek ziemi nowym domem. Zajmowali się głownie karczowaniem lasu, polowaniem i rolnictwem. Wielka wytrwałość, pracowitość i zaradność Polaków sprawiły, ze w niedługim czasie Webster zaczęło przypominać zasobną polska wioskę z zamieszkałymi tam około siedemdziesięcioma polskimi rodzinami.

Głębokie uczucia religijne kierowały tamtejszymi Polakami w potrzebie budowy pierwszego budynku wspólnotowego, którym stal się kościół Najświętszego Serca Pana Jezusa. Główną organizatorką przedsięwzięcia była pani Grodkowska, a na czele komitetu budowy kościoła stanęli Stanislaw Siluch, Alojzy Wrzosek oraz Jan Grotkowski. Na początku Msze Św. były odprawiane sporadycznie przez dojeżdżającego z Grande Prairie księdza, jak również przez urodzonego w Kanadzie księdza o polskich korzeniach – ojca F. Szala, posługującego się poprawną polszczyzną. Pierwszym proboszczem polskiego kościoła w Webster stał się w roku 1938 ojciec Joachim Michałowski, oblat Maryi Niepokalanej. W Webster objął opiekę duszpasterska nad wszystkimi emigrantami słowiańskiego pochodzenia w okolicach Peace River Country, odprawiając swa posługę aż do 1952 r. Nieopodal kościoła powstał również polski cmentarz, istniejący do dziś. Wśród pochowanych tam zmarłych, znaleźli się tam jedni z pierwszych przybyłych w te rejony rodzin, Salackich, Grotkowskich, Woźniaków. W latach 1954-55 z inicjatywy Juliana Grotkowskiego i Alojzego Wrzoska powstała w Webster grota najświętszej Maryi Panny z Lourdes. 28 Lipca 1964 roku w czasie burzy kościół polski został rażony piorunem I doszczętnie spłonął. Z braku środków finansowych nigdy nie udało się polonii wznieść nowego kościoła. Grota jednak stała się symbolem tej pierwszej wielkiej kolebki polskości w regionie Peace River. Do dziś odbywają się tam coroczne polskie Msze Św. odpustowe ku czci Najświętszego Serca Pana Jezusa. Zwykle w ostatnia niedziele czerwca zjeżdżają na specjalne nabożeństwo Polacy z Grande Prairie i okolic, a także goście z odległych części Alberty i całej Kanady, a nawet z Polski.

Wraz ze wzrostem liczby Polaków zamieszkujących okolice, zaistniała potrzeba edukacji nowych członków wspólnoty. Pierwsze lekcje odbywały się w budynku kościelnym, jednak z inicjatywy polonii stanęła prawdziwa szkoła nazwana przez mieszkańców Webster "Toruń School" na pamiątkę słynnego "Grodu Kopernika". Zajęcia lekcyjne były prowadzone głownie pod katem nauki języka angielskiego, a szkoła funkcjonowała do 1957 roku, w którym to dzieci zaczęły być dowożone do odległej o około 12 km miejscowości Sexmith. Webster stał się prawdziwą oaza polskości – w krótkim czasie wybudowano community hall, otwarto bibliotekę, sklep, kuźnie, rzeźnie I masarnie. Rozwijała się również gospodarka I rolnictwo – bracia Grotkowscy prowadzili tartak pod nazwa "Webster Sawmill", wybudowano elewator zbożowy, a także noclegownie dla przybywających tu farmerów. Zmierzch świetności Webster rozpoczął się z chwila pojawienia pracy przy nowopowstającej autostradzie na Alaskę. Wiele rodzin zaczęło się wiec przesiedlać w poszukiwaniu bardziej opłacalnej pracy i dogodniejszych warunków życia. Choć większość polonii wyprowadziła się z rejonów Webster, do dziś cmentarz i symboliczna polska grota znajdują się pod opieka polonii z Grande Prairie. Ważna cześć Webster stanowi również ustawiona przy grocie kabina leśna, w której ojciec Michałowski spędził pierwsza zimę podczas swej posługi kapłańskiej w Webster. Domek ten jest swoistym miniaturowym muzeum, w którym znaleźć można eksponaty-rzeczy codziennego użytku należące do pierwszych polskich emigrantów na tej ziemi. Przy Grocie znajduje się również mosiężna tablica z napisem: "Most of the settlers in the Webster are of polish descent, since 1927. In the early 1930s a Catholic Church was built on the south side of the grotto. The main church carpenters were Alojzy Wrzosek and Stanislaw Siluch. First resident priest, Fr. Joachim Michalowski, OMI, a newly ordained priest from Poland served from 1938 until 1951. His replacement, Fr. Josef Lucas, served from 1953 to 1957 and was instrumental in building the grotto. In 1954, Alojzy Wrzosek and Julian Grotkowski, with the help of many dedicated settlers from the Webster and Sexmith areas, constructed the stone grotto. Polish settlers celebrate an ongoing annual pilgrimage at the grotto to commemorate the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. In 1964 the church was struck by lightning and burned to the ground".

Centrum życia polonijnego regionu Peace Country przeniosło się do Grande Prairie. To tutaj już w 1943 roku utworzono oficjalną organizację mającą na celu pielęgnowanie i propagowanie ojczystych wartości na kanadyjskiej ziemi. Założycielem Towarzystwa Polsko-Kanadyjskiego w Grande Prairie był Wolter Konowecki, przybyły do regionu w 1928 z kieleckiego. Rozwijające się stowarzyszenie skupiało Polaków z miasta oraz jego okolic, starając się umacniać więź między Polakami i pozostając w stałym kontakcie z Kongresem Polonijnym w Kanadzie. Kolejnym prezesem został Antoni Woźniak, jeden z pierwszych przybyłych w te rejony Polaków. Podczas wieloletniej kadencji był bardzo zaangażowany w życie polonijne i rozwój stowarzyszenia, oferując pomoc moralna i finansowa nowoprzybyłym polskim imigrantom.

Mijające lata przyniosły wzrost przybyłych Polaków i rozkwit organizacji skupiając wielu nowych długoletnich członków. W 2008 roku odbyła się uroczysta gala mająca na celu upamiętnienie 65 rocznicy istnienia Towarzystwa Polsko-Kanadyjskiego w Grande Prairie. Oprócz zaproszonych członków organizacji znaleźli się goście honorowi, a wśród nich miedzy innymi byli prezesi stowarzyszenia – Ambroży Salacki, Ernest Horabik, Marek Wilk, Kazimierz Dul, Mirosław Bator, Tadeusz Łukasiewicz i Jacek Bator. W uroczystości udział również wzięli Konsul Generalny Maciej Krych, Konsul Honorowy z Edmonton John Szumlas, Konsul Honorowy z Calgary Zygmunt Potocki, a także przedstawiciele rządowi z prowincji Alberta. Ważnym punktem obchodów jubileuszu było przyznanie Walterowi Paszkowskiemu Orderu Zasługi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej za wybitny wkład w działalność łącząca Polskę z Kanada. Pan Paszkowski, syn polskich imigrantów przybyłych do Sexmith w 1930 roku, przez długie lata udzielał się z wielkim zaangażowaniem nie tylko w rozwój polsko-kanadyjskiej przyjaźni, jak i w życie polityczne i gospodarcze. Jest on darzony wielkim szacunkiem oraz sympatia i do dziś jest uważany za wielka osobistość naszego regionu.

W Grande Prairie mieszka obecnie około 200 Polaków – niektórzy są potomkami pierwszej fali emigracyjnej z początków XX wieku, cześć z nich przybyła do Kanady po drugiej wojnie światowej, cześć znalazła tu azyl polityczny podczas panującego dawniej w Polsce komunizmu, cześć stanowi zupełnie nowa generacje, przybyła tu już w dwudziestym pierwszym wieku. Choć Polacy wciąż dbają o zachowanie ojczystej tradycji, kultury, obyczajów i języka. Potrafili oni doskonale zaadoptować się do nowych warunków i uczynić Kanadę nowym domem. Niektórzy z nich wciąż trudnią się pracą na roli, choć większość z nich pracuje w mieście. Członkowie współczesnej polonii Grande Prairie znaleźli zatrudnienie miedzy innymi w przemyśle wydobywczym, szkolnictwie, budownictwie, lecznictwie. Niektórzy prowadza nawet prosperujące prywatne firmy. Przez ostatnie lata polonia z Grande Prairie i okolic była otoczona opieką duszpasterska przez księdza Leona Klera rezydującego w kościele Niepokalanego Poczęcia w Sexmith do 2007 roku. Od 2011 roku ojciec Rajmunda Dorawa pełni posługę kapłańska w Kościele Świętego Józefa w Grande Prairie.

Stowarzyszenie Polsko-Kanadyjskie w Grande Prairie działa dziś prężnie pod kierownictw pani prezes Jagody Wilk, piastującej swe stanowisko od 2007 roku. Zarząd towarzystwa spotyka się regularnie i odpowiedzialny jest za koordynacje życia Polonii i organizowanie corocznych uroczystości takich jak: Bożonarodzeniowej Mszy Św. i poczęstunku, świecenia pokarmów wielkanocnych czy na zakończenie lata pikniku polonijnego. Najważniejszym jednak punktem dla niektórych do dziś pozostaje przy grocie w Webster Msza Św. odpustowa ku czci Najświętszego Serca Pana Jezusa.

Właśnie tam przy wspólnej modlitwie w szczególny sposób odczuwa się przynależność do polskiej wspólnoty z daleka od Ojczyzny.

I

The first Poles to arrive in Manitoba were a group of soldiers from the De Meuron regiment, who came to the Red River settlement with the Lord Selkirk expedition in 1817. 

 The ten Polish men who arrived on the banks of the Red River with the Lord Selkirk expedition joined the British army after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte. Thousands of Poles served and fought under Napoleon, hoping to reestablish Poland’s independence, lost in 1795 after the last partition of Poland by Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Prussia.  After Napoleon’s defeat, those who were captured by the British became prisoners of war, and most were imprisoned in an old warship in deplorable conditions. Their only hope for freedom was to volunteer for service in foreign regiments, such as De Waterville and De Meuron. Eventually, they were brought to the American continent to fight for the British cause, and many of them fought in the War of 1812 against the United States. A good number deserted the British ranks, believing that the American cause was a just one; those who remained continued to fight for the British. 

 In the early 19th century, a rivalry broke out between the Hudson’s Bay Company and the North West Company for the control of the lucrative fur trade. In 1816, to oust the competition, the North West Company took some extreme measures that resulted in the loss of life. This prompted Lord Selkirk, who owned a large tract of land along the Red River, to take direct action. He recruited volunteers from the De Waterville and De Meuron regiments, including ten Poles, to restore order and provide protection to the Red River colony. By offering sizable portions of land and monetary incentives, Lord Selkirk was hoping to settle the Poles on the banks of the Red River. They arrived at the colony in June 1817. The ten Polish recruits were Michel Bardowicz, Pierre Gandroski, Andrew Jankowski, Michael Kaminski, Martin Kralich, Wojciech Lasotta, Laurent Kwileski, John Wasilowski, Michel Isaak and Antoine Sabatzki. A monument dedicated to them has been erected in Birds Hill Park, just outside Winnipeg. The censuses of 1832 and later indicate that only four of the ten Poles actually settled; the rest departed, after the great flood of 1826, for other parts of Canada or, perhaps, for the United States. Those who stayed were Michel Bardowicz, Pierre Gandroski, Andrew Jankowski, and Michael Isaak.

 Only a very small number of Poles made Manitoba their home between 1817 and 1895. The most prominent among them were Edwin Brokowski, a surveyor and publisher of the Manitoba Gazette and Trade Review, and Charles Czerwinski, the proprietor of the Czerwinski Box Company.  It was around 1895 that a large wave of new immigrants — Poles among them – began to arrive in Manitoba.

II

The first wave of Polish immigrants, during the pioneer era, started with mass migration from continental Europe in the 1890s and lasted until the outbreak of WW I in 1914. It resumed in 1919 and continued until the outbreak of WW II in 1939. 

 As immigration from England and Ireland stalled at the end of the nineteenth century, the largest wave of immigrants from continental Europe began arriving on North American shores. The Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian government were actively looking for new settlers to populate the vast territory of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, as the country was expanding westwards. The resulting influx of immigrants – more than three million between 1891 and 1914 – was facilitated by the changes to the immigration policy introduced by the government of Sir Wilfred Laurier and implemented by Sir Clifford Sifton, Minister of the Interior. Agents from various shipping companies were sent out to Europe in order to attract and recruit anyone willing to settle in the West on the promise of free land and good remunerative jobs, either building the railroad or working in the newly established mines. The agents portrayed Canada as a land of unlimited opportunities with a bright future. The new immigrants were mostly poor peasants from overpopulated areas of continental Europe, living under very poor economic conditions. The largest group came from the area called Galicia, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire; others came from the Prussian- and Russian-controlled portions of former Poland. Among the many ethnic groups migrating to Canada was also a sizable contingent of Poles. The key factors in their decision to emigrate were probably political restrictions and high taxation in their homeland. They were attracted to Canada by large allotments of land and a promise of better living conditions. 

 Reality, however, proved to be much different.  Almost all of them were ill prepared for its challenges. The Polish settlers soon discovered that life on the prairies was harsh and difficult. They faced new and unforeseen challenges of the land – infestations of mosquitoes and other insects, swampy areas, thick and dense bush. Initially, they constructed primitive shelters, such as dugouts or sod cabins, which they later replaced with more solid log houses, providing more stable and secure shelter against the elements.  

 At the beginning, their lives demanded arduous manual labour. Clearing the forests, building primitive dwellings, and breaking the land with oxen and primitive tools made their life brutally hard. Traveling to cities to sell the produce sometimes took days. Lack of fluency in English and unfamiliarity with English customs added to the challenges. Overcoming such hardships demanded courage, determination, and perseverance. Many gave up and returned to their homeland, while others felt trapped, too poor to buy return tickets. Those who stayed and persevered, slowly built new lives for themselves and adjusted to the realities of Manitoba. During those difficult times, it was their faith and their church that provided them with spiritual guidance and moral support; eventually, most of them not only survived but prospered. 

III

 After the end of WW II (1945), many Poles were scattered across the European continent. Soldiers of the Polish 2nd Corps, who fought alongside the Allied Forces, constituted the largest group. They could not return to their homeland because it was controlled by what they considered to be a hostile government. Instead, they requested and obtained permission to come to Canada, and some of them settled in Manitoba.

 On September 1, 1939, German troops invaded Poland, starting World War II in Europe. Thousands of Poles were rounded up by the Nazis and by the Soviets who invaded Poland a few weeks later; they were sent to German concentration camps and Soviet labour camps in Siberia. With the outbreak of German-Russian hostilities in June of 1941, the Soviets released all Poles from the camps. As part of an understanding between the Polish and Soviet governments, a new Polish army was to be formed on the Soviet territory to fight alongside the Red Army. However, since the Soviet government was unable to deliver the necessary supplies and military equipment, the Polish government in exile decided to evacuate all Polish soldiers to the Middle East. The result was an exodus from Russia of more than 100,000 Polish military personnel and civilians, including thousands of children. Eventually, the Polish soldiers formed the Polish 2nd Corps that became part of the British 8th Army, under the command of Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. The Army took part in the Italian campaign and fought one of the decisive battles of WWII, the battle of Monte Casino. After 1945, the soldiers of the Polish 2nd Corps found themselves in limbo. With the Communists in charge of the government in Poland, the majority decided not to return to their homeland in fear of reprisals.  An understanding between the Polish government-in-exile and the British government was reached whereby thousands of Polish ex-servicemen were allowed to emigrate to different parts of the British Commonwealth and South America, with a good number coming to Canada and Manitoba. Still wearing Polish military uniforms, they arrived to begin a new life. Although more educated and better equipped to settle in their new homeland than their predecessors, they too experienced their share of hardships. As part of the agreement, they had to fulfill a two-year contract requiring them to work in the fields or as lumber jacks in the forest. Completing the requirement qualified them to stay in Canada permanently.  They arrived in Canada with their own combatants’ organizations and devoted themselves to raising a new generation and  continuing the fight for Polish independence. They supported and maintained the Polish language, traditions, customs, and important anniversaries, preserving their Polish identity while becoming part of their adoptive homeland.

IV

 The last wave of Polish immigrants arrived in Manitoba in the 1980s, during the Solidarity period. The word “Solidarity” became synonymous with freedom and symbolic of the Polish desire to regain full independence from the Soviet Union.

 At the end of WWII, Poland fell under the influence of the Soviet Union, which imposed Communist ideology and installed a Communist state, a political system resented by the majority of Poles. Several attempts to challenge that system ended in failure. However, in the early 1980s, with the moral support of Pope John Paul II, Poles openly confronted the Communist government by launching the “Solidarity” movement. This resulted in a clash with the authorities and eventually led to the imposition of martial law on Dec 13, 1981. With an uncertain future and political instability at home, thousands of Poles sought new and better life in other parts of the world. Canada – including Manitoba – opened its doors to many of them. Those latest arrivals came from all walks of life, but they were usually well educated. With perseverance and determination, many became successful in their adoptive homeland and managed to re-enter the work force in their former professions as doctors, engineers, teachers, tradesman and others. Today, many of them are employed in a variety of industries, contributing to the development of Manitoba and Canada. The most iconic symbol of that era is the name of their movement, “Solidarity”, with which this wave of Polish immigrants is always identified.

Autor - Lechosław Gałęzowski

History of Polish Canadians in Nova Scotia

Little is known about early Polish immigration to Nova Scotia. First groups settled on Cape Breton Island where they found employment as steelworkers and coal miners.

1909 St. Michael's Polish Benefit Society was formed in Sydney, Cape Breton.

1913 St. Mary's Parish was established in Sydney, Cape Breton. The parish remains the only Polish Parish in Atlantic Canada. The church was destroyed in the devastating fire on November 29, 2014. It was rebuilt in 2016. At the official re-opening of St. Mary's Polish Church in Sydney in 2016, the Province of Nova Scotia affirmed that the reconstructed site will remain a Provincial Historic Landmark honoring Polish Nova Scotians.

1949 The Polish Village Hall (Dom Polski) was constructed in Whitney Pier by the St. Michael's Polish Benefit Society on Victoria Road, replacing an earlier hall on Wesley St. In 2011-2012, the hall underwent a major renovation. In 2013, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality designated the hall as a Municipal Heritage Landmark.

Stanisław Świaniewicz (November 7, 1899 – May 22, 1997) was a Polish economist and historian. A veteran of the Polish-Bolshevik War, during World War II he was one of the few survivors of the Katyń Massacre and an eyewitness of the transport of Polish prisoners of war to the forests outside Smoleńsk by the NKVD. He was a professor at Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is buried in Sackville near Halifax.

1963 Stanisław Bóbr-Tylingo arrived to Canada. He was born in Warsaw on 30 March 1919. He was a veteran of World War II. He came to Nova Scotia in 1963 and was appointed Assistant Professor in the History Department of Saint Mary's University in Halifax, N.S. He was promoted to full Professor in 1971. He remained at SMU for the rest of his life. During his retirement he wrote a history of the Restored Polish Republic 1919-1947. He is buried in Sackville near Halifax.

Halina Jadwiga Bóbr-Tylingo (Reszke) studied biology in Paris. She became a Professor of Biology at SMU. Stanisław and Halina remained Polish patriots throughout their lives. Prof. Halina was best known from her work in the Polish Library, located in St. Anthony Parish/St. Faustyna Kowalski Polish Mission, Dartmouth. At present it is supervised by Wiesława and Leszek Witkowski.

A group of Polish intellectuals has established several Polish organizations: Polish School, Polish Scouts, Polish Publishing House. Polish Apostolate with a Polish priest. Apostolate supports St. Faustyna Kowalska Polish Mission and the Polish Bulletin, issued weekly by Urszula Rudź.

1973 Premier of Nova Scotia, Gerald Reagan born in Windsor NS, introduced legislation in favor of multicultural movements in N.S.

1974 Witold Zahorski and Wiesław Robaczewski, played crucial role in organization of Polish Emigrants. They are founders of the Polish Association of Halifax-Dartmouth. Witold Zahorski was born in Warsaw in 1926, he is a survivor of the Warsaw uprising of 1944. At 18 years old, he fought in platoon "Żaglowiec," under alias "Rotunda."

1976 The Polish Association of Halifax-Dartmouth was officially registered. The first president Wiesław Robaczewski 1975-1976, followed by Stanisław Lewandowski 1976–1980; Janusz Rosiński 1980–1982; Stanisław Bóbr Tylingo 1982–1984; Bożena Liszka 1984–1985; Jan Woźniczek 1985–1986; Leszek Witkowski 1986–1988; Mieczysław Welke 1988–1990; Barbara Sobaszkiewicz 1990–1991; Rajmund Gudelewicz 1991–1995; Leszek Witkowski 1995–1997; Alina Klimek 1997 till present. This organization is known to support social activity in the Polish community. It plays an important role in the organization of the annual spring Polish Heritage Festival at St. Anthony Parish/St. Faustyna Kowalska Polish Mission, Dartmouth.

Other Polish organizations in Nova Scotia

1982-1994 Our Lady of Lourdes Polish Refugee Society – New Glasgow & Stellarton, Nova Scotia.

1982-2003 Solidarity Association-Antigonish/Polish Relief Fund of Nova Scotia - Antigonish County established by Thomas Roach and Dr. Leonard Pluta.

1983 Pomorze, Nova Scotia's Polish Folkdance Ensemble was established by Dominik Gniewek and his family in Sydney Cape Breton. Pomorze came to Halifax in 1984 and attracted dancers from the Polish and other communities. The group had amazing original Polish folk costumes and a rich repertoire. Pomorze gave over one hundred fifty performances at occasions such as the Polish Dance Festival of the Americas in both Boston and Montreal, the Canadian Polish Dance Festival in Toronto, the Seventh and Eighth International Festival of Polish Folkdance Ensembles in Rzeszow, Poland, the Canada Games Festivities in Cape Breton, the visit of His Holiness Pope John-Paul II in Halifax, The Nova Scotia International Tattoo, the first annual 'A Day in Poland' celebrations, and many multicultural events and celebrations.

1990's The Polish Association of Halifax-Dartmouth promoted health live. Sports were popular among the Poles. Tennis Club organized tournaments twice a year (total 8 tournaments), Women, Men, juniors, Men's Double, Double Mix. Soccer Team practiced at the fields of Commons in Halifax with coach, Zbigniew Górski. Volleyball Team attracted women and men.

1993-1996 Polish Bulletin Kris Gorzelnik, Rajmund Gudelewicz, Leszek Witkowski, Maryla Dłutek.

2000 Krzysztof Dłutek set up Polish Bridge Society, current leaders Maryla Dłutek and Jolanta Piórko.

2004 Pogoria Polish Folk Ensemble was formed in Sydney, Cape Breton.

2007 Wanda Szubielski established Nova Scotia Society of Polish Artists (NSSPA).

2012 The Nova Scotia House of Assembly passed an Act to Amend the St. Michael's Polish Benefit Society Act. It was the first law in Canada to be officially written in Polish and English. It came into force on May 3, 2012.

2013 St. Mary's Polish Church marks its 100th anniversary. Events included a joint concert "The Men of the Deeps" and the Choir of St. Mary's Polish Church at Cape Breton University, Sydney N.S. "The Men of the Deeps" is North America's only Coal Miners Choir. The concert was attended by over 300 representatives of the local Polish community and invited guests. Among other things, the famous song Working Man was sung in Polish for the first time and the theatrical interpretation of Al Balawyder's The Odyssey of the Polish Treasures was performed. A major historical exhibit and the opening reception were broadcast live on CBC Radio in Cape Breton. A number of other events also took place including: a conference of the Canadian Polish Research Institute, a number of community service projects, an official banquet, a celebratory Mass with the presence of the Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, and a Polish Festival. During the concert, two ceremonial Polish Miner's uniforms, specially sewn in Poland for this event, were presented to "The Men of the Deeps" by the Consul General in Montreal, Andrzej Szydło.

2014 Polish Canadian Society of Nova Scotia (PCSNS) is a not-for-profit society that maintains, celebrates and shares the richness of Polish-Canadian presence, language and culture in Nova Scotia. The work of the Society is primarily focused on teaching the Polish language to children and adults. The organization promotes cultural exchange and works collaboratively with existing groups and organizations. PCSNS creates initiatives and partnerships with everyone interested in the connection with the Polish-Canadian culture. The society is engaged in other activity such as "Polish Film Festival" and other.

Numerous Polish-Nova Scotian's have been recognized with awards and appointments by the Queen, the Canadian Government, Universities and Various Organization in: Law, Science and Engineering, Medicine, Education, Politics, Music, Culture and Media, Actors, Military, Sports.

2012 Honorary Consul: Jan Skóra, M.Arch., MCIP, LPP, Consulate Inauguration: Nov. 17, 2012.

The following is a list of Consulate activities: Polish - Canadian programs - Find out more about scholarships, Quo Vadis conference, International Parliamentary Internship Program or Youth Mobility Program. Education - Find out more about studying in Poland, Polish Studies in Canada or instructions to apply for Youth Mobility Program. Free Internet Polish School Invest in Poland - Learn about Polish economy and achievements of Polish industries. Investors Guide - Learn about Polish business opportunities, legal system, consumer protection, tax system, tariff regulations, European Union regulations, registration procedures, economic forecasts and more.

2014 Consulate played crucial role in organization of the "Jan Karski exhibit" at Saint Mary's University, May 2-10, 2014. In Poland, the Year 2014, was announced the Year of Jan Karski. The exhibit "The world knew. Jan Karski's mission for humanity" was produced by the Polish History Museum in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland and the Jan Karski Educational Foundation. The exhibit was opened in Ottawa in November 2013, as a Canadian recognition to Jan Karski by Minister Jason Kenney.

2015 Barbara Dzierżanowska Partner McInnes Cooper, Basia is ranked in the Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and has been recognized as a Lexpert ranked lawyer in the Lexpert Leading Canadian Lawyers in Global Mining and Corporate Finance and Securities. She has also appeared on the cover of Lexpert Special Edition – Canada's Leading Energy Lawyers in the November 2015 issue of Globe and Mail's Report on Business Magazine.

2015 Olivia Rybicka-Oliver an 11-year-old girl performed the fastest spin on ice skates (342 revolutions per-min.) and is waiting for Guinness World Records verification. She did her spin at the National Stadium in Warsaw as part of a fundraising effort for "Fundacja Dziecieca Fantazja" in Poland and for a Canadian Charity called "Leave out Violence". She was born in Poland and now lives in Hammonds Plains, N.S.

The majority of Poles are Roman Catholic, but there are also Lutherans, Anglicans and United Church members, Polish National Catholic Church (not affiliated with Rome), Buddhists and Jewish. All of them play an important role in the development of Canadian Culture.

All Polish Canadians including their descendants are encouraged by organizations such as the Congress, Polish Embassy and Consulate, to preserve their heritage and retain some ties with Poland and its people.

First 2 phases of Polish immigration included numerous illiterate peasants, but later immigrants were generally well educated. The children were sent to public or private schools. A network of part-time Polish-language schools was also established. Most of the later are affiliated with the Polish Teachers Federation.

The feeling of unity among Polish Canadians has been expressed primarily in support of the Polish Nation. Political and financial support for Poland was strong during WWII, when Poland was under German occupation, and later under the Communist ruling. An extensive "Help for Poland" program established in Canada after October 1956 has recently been revived. Contact with the motherland remains vivid through organized travel tours to Poland, family visits and language courses for the young.

National pride is reinforced by Polish contribution to world culture. Mikołaj Kopernik, born in Toruń, was a Renaissance mathematician and astronomer who formulated a model of the universe that placed the Sun rather than the Earth at the center of the universe. Maria Skłodowska-Curie shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics with her husband Pierre Curie and with physicist Henri Becquerel. She won the 1911 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. She was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize, the first person and only woman to win twice, the only person to win a Nobel Prize in two different sciences. She was also the first woman to become a professor at the University of Paris, in 1995 she became the first woman to be entombed on her own merits in the Panthéon in Paris. Tadeusz Kościuszko was a Polish–Lithuanian military engineer and a military leader who became a national hero in Poland, Lithuania, Belarus, and the United States. Frederic Chopin Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. Pope John Paul II 1978–2005. Czesław Miłosz, in 1980 the Nobel Prize for Literature. Lech Wałęsa, in 1983 the Nobel Prize for Peace. Wiesława Szymborska, in 1996 for the Nobel Prize for Literature, and many others.

References: polishconsulhalifax.ca; poloniahalifax.ca; pcsns.ca; thecanadianencyclopedia.ca; wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Canadians; cphsalberta.ca/wacekmaje.html; bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/history-ethnic-cultural/Pages/polish.aspx; rjsc.gov.ns.ca; en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanisław_Bóbr-Tylingo