Polish Community

Polish Community in Hamilton | General Information about Poland

Polish Community in Hamilton

• Population in Canada:

  Approximately 817,085 in 2006

• Population in Ontario:

  Approximately 386,050 in 2006

• Population in Hamilton:

  Approximately 11,565 in 2006

• History of immigration:

  The first Polish immigrant, Dominik Barcz, is known to have come to Canada in 1752. He was followed in 1757 by Charles Blaskowicz, who worked as deputy surveyor-general of lands. In 1776 arrived army surgeon Auguste Francois Globenski, whose descendants played a prominent role in the St. Eustache community north of Montreal. A descendant, Charles Auguste Globenski was elected to the House of Commons in Ottawa in 1875. In 1841, Casimir Stanislaus Gzowski from Poland arrived in Canada via the U.S.A. and for 50 years made numerous contributions in the engineering business, military and community life of Toronto and Southern Ontario, for which he was knighted by Queen Victoria.

  Charles Horecki contributed in 1872 to the exploration and railway construction possibilities of the land from Edmonton to the Pacific Ocean, through the Peace River Valley. Today, a mountain and a body of water in British Columbia are named after him.

  The first group-settlers were the Kaszubs of Northern Poland who escaped from Prussian oppression. They arrived in Renfrew County of Ontario in 1858, where they founded the settlements of Wilno, Barrys Bay, and Round Lake. By 1890 there were about 270 Kaszub families working in the beautiful Madawaska Valley of Renfrew County, and contributing to the lumber industry of the Ottawa Valley.

  The other waves of Polish immigrants in the periods from 1890-1914, 1920-1939, 1941, 50s, 80s (Solidarity movement, colaps of communist regeme) to this day, settled across Canada from Cape Breton to Vancouver, and made numerous and significant contributions to the agricultural, manufacturing, engineering, teaching, publishing, religious, mining, cultural, professional, sports, military, research, business, governmental and political life of our country.

• Major Languages:

  Polish and English

• Religions:

  90% of Polish people declare themselves as Catholics. Poland is the homeland of Pope John Paul II. Poland is a country with freedom of religion.

Common Foods

One Polish specialty is a profusion of excellent smoked meats, especially sausage (kielbasa), very popular throughout the world, made after traditional recipes and smoked over juniper or fruit-tree twigs. An essential part of the main Polish meal of the day - which, incidentally, is eaten much earlier than in the West - is soup. One of the most popular soups in the country is barszcz (fermented beetroot soup), often served with beans or uszka, ravioli-type pastries stuffed with meat or mushrooms. Another tasty fermented soup is zurek - made of rye-flour and cooked with mushrooms, and served with potatoes, diced sausages and hard-boiled eggs. A true gourmet treat is wild mushroom soup thickened with sour cream and served with tiny uszka. Other popular soups are kapusniak (made of brined cabbage), krupnik (barley soup on rich chicken stock with vegetables and chunks of meat), potato soup, and tomato soup. And there is also rosol - poultry or beef bouillon served with noodles and sprinkled liberally with parsley. Perhaps the best-known Polish culinary classic is kotlet schabowy - fried pork loin chop coated in breadcrumbs and served with potatoes and cabbage. Pieczony schab (roast pork loin) stuffed with prunes is simply mouthwatering. Other popular pork dishes include roasted or boiled golonka (pork knuckle) and kaszanka (a kind of black pudding), once staple peasant food, today served in the best restaurants. The same applies to smalec (dripping), melted with pork scratchings, chunks of meat and onion, seasoned with salt, pepper and often-aromatic herbs.

One of the best beef dishes is a zrazy zawijane - stewed roll stuffed with a pickled cucumber, and a piece of sausage and mushrooms. A relative rarity, which you can try only on special occasions, is a roast suckling pig stuffed with spicy buckwheat groats.

The Polish cuisine is noted for superb dumplings, especially pierogi, which are made from noodle dough, stuffed with minced meat, chopped brined cabbage mixed with mushrooms, cottage cheese, or fruit, and boiled. One favourite variety is pierogi ruskie, with a stuffing of cheese, potatoes and fried onion. Other popular vegetarian dishes include nalesniki (pancakes), pyzy (steamed dumplings made from potato flour) and knedle (dumplings stuffed with fruit).

The Polish national dish is bigos, made of brined cabbage with a variety of meats, smoked meats and mushrooms. Another specialty worth trying is golabki - cabbage leaves stuffed with minced meat and rice, served with tomato or mushroom sauce.

Popular starters include herring prepared in a number of ways, for example with onions, apples and cream.

Pastries and cakes are a traditional type of dessert in Poland. Most often they are made from yeast dough (baba, drozdzowe) but there are also Swiss-roll types with poppy seed (makowiec), dried fruit and nut fillings (rolada), mazurek, apple Charlottes (szarlotka), cheesecakes (sernik) and gingerbreads (piernik). Doughnuts (paczki) with rose conserve are another favourite.

Traditional Clothing

• Women's clothing

  Presently Polish clothing is the same as in Canada. Traditional costumes are used on special occasions. Poland is a land with a rich and diverse folklore. There are many regions in the country, each with their own traditions, dances, songs and costumes.

  Polish folklore developed, first and foremost, among the peasantry. These country people seldom traveled very far. Many people were born, lived and died without ever leaving their home provinces. Rivers, mountains, lakes, forests and marshes isolated the communities from one another and for this reason each region developed its own unique traditions.

  All Polish folk costumes were based primarily on fabrics created and decorated by the local people. Sometimes certain elements would be imported, such as the sea shells which decorate the hats of the mountaineers, but most of the clothing was produced from linen, cotton, wool, felt, leather and fur available in the community. The peasant folk had to make do with what was at hand.

  Before the turn of the century, folk costumes were worn daily by most peasants. Rougher clothing was worn to work while more elaborate dress was reserved for special occasions like church, festivals and weddings. Most people had only one or two sets of 'good' clothes. These were frequently very skillfully made and were highly ornamented. Many women spent months sewing elaborate embroidery on their dresses or vests. On the territory of present-day Poland there are some sixty folkloric regions -- each with their own distinctive costumes. In some areas, such as the highlands of the Tatras (Podhale), Kurpie, Lowicz, Opoczno and Sieradz, the tradition of folk-costumes is still alive. People continue to make costumes and wear them -- at least on holidays and festivals. In many other regions, costumes are still made but mostly for dance groups or choirs. In other areas, such as Warmia, the folk tradition has almost completely disappeared and the folk dress from those regions has been reconstructed from paintings, museum collections and written accounts.

• Men's clothing

  Same as in Canada

• Children's clothing

  Same as in Canada

Art and Culture

• Singers: Children Choir "Stokrotki"

  Conductor: Kazimierz Chrapka

  Phone : (905) 574 9212

  POLONEZ - Folk Dance

  President: Wieslawa Chrapka - (905) 385 5201

  Ballet School: Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts

  Artistic Director :VITEK WINCZA

  Founder/Artistic Director: Stokrotki

• Art Festivals

  There are many festivals in Poland: International and National Song Festivals,TKB: Tydzen Kultury Bedskidzkiej, Jazz Festivals in many cities throughout the year, Film and music festivals in Krakow, Gdansk, Gdynia, Warsaw, International Theatre Festivals, Wroclaw, Sacred Music Festivals, Opera Festivals, Piano Festivals (F. Chopin, Paderewski), Folk Music Festivals, Art and Architecture Festivals(check: www.poland.pl )

• Theatre

  The National Helena Modrzejewska Old Theatre in Krakow, Juliusz Slowacki Theatre in Krakow, The Dramatic Theatre of the Capital City of Warsaw, National Theatre in Warsaw, there are theatres in every city in Poland.For more information check www.culture.poland.com

• Music

  All kinds. Classical Music (Fryderyk Chopin, Stanislaw Moniuszko, Ignacy Paderewski, Wojciech Kilar), Folk Music is different in every region of Poland, Todays Music: Heavy Metal, Rock, Rap, Easy, Pop (Ewelina Kwinta, Kasia Kowalska, Myslowitz (band), Jeden Osiem L (band), Marcin Rozynek,www.poland.gov.pl Culture/Music. Polka

• Dance:

  Folk dance depends on what part of Poland you are from (Kujawiak, Mazur, Polonez, Goralski, Krakowiak, Oberek etc), modern dance same as in Canada www.poland.gov.pl Culture/Dance.

• Visual Arts:

  Jan Matejko, Stanislaw Matejko, Jozef Celmonski, Jacek Malczewski, Wojciech Kossak, Stanislaw Witkacy, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Jerzy Nowosielski, Wlodzimierz Pawlak:(1957), Witold Wojtkiewicz (1879-1909) www.poland.gov.pl Culture/Visual Art.

• Musical Instruments:

  Violin, guitar, piano, accordion, banjo.

• Architecture

  [Detail]
  List of over one hundred of the largest and most significant historical buildings in Poland: castles and keeps (including royal residences), palaces and park complexes, urban complexes, church complexes, and other monuments worthy of attention. Detailed presentations of some of the monuments are already available on our website, discussions of the remaining ones are being prepared.

  Many famous architectural sites include in Crokow: Wawel Hill. Old Town, Sukiennice / Cloth Hall (interior, upper floors), defensive walls, Royal Castle and Cathedral complex, in Warsaw: Kings Castle, Old Market Square, in Gdansk: old town, Gniezno, Poznan, Wroclaw etc. There are castles from as early as XIII century. Gothic styles, Renaissance, Baroc, etc

• Sculpture

  There are many famous sculptures in Poland. Many symbolize different legends or stories, kings, etc. there is the Nike sculpture which symbolizes battle and gives hope that it will protect Poland. Then the statue of the dragon, is from a famous legend, as well as the warior mermaid.

• Literature

  Jan Kochanowski, Ignacy Krasicki, Adam Mickiewicz, Hentyk Sienkiewicz, Czeslaw Milosz (Nobel Prize Laureate), Boleslaw Prus, Adam Zagajewski: a poet, novelist, essayist and the winner of many prestigious literary prizes. (visit: www.culture.poland.com ) www.poland.gov.pl Culture/Literature.

• Major Films

  "Inferno" directed by Maciej Pieprzyca, "Moje miasto / My town" directed by Marek Lechki. There are many Polish remarkable, e.g. Andrzej Wajda, Polanski, Krzysztof Zanussi, Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Janusz Zaorski, Marek Piwowski, Kazimierz Kutz , Radoslaw Piwowarski. www.poland.gov.pl Culture/Film.

• Museums

  Museums National Galery in Warsaw, The Royal Castle at the Wawel Hill in Cracow, Museum of the Origins of the Polish State in Gniezno Visit www.poland.gov.pl polish culture/tourism, www.directory.poland.com culture/art, museums. There are museums and galleries in every city in Poland.

The Dutch in Hamilton

• Ethnic businesses in Hamilton

  Polish people work in grocery stores, bakeries, movie rental shops, teach Polish dancing, run banquet halls, Polish schools, work as dentists, lawyers, real estate agents, doctors, travel agents, auto mechanics and more.

• Major occupations of the community's members

  You can find Polish People in pretty much any occupation. The Polish community members live everywhere in Hamilton.

• Community Organizations / Associations(s)

  Canadian Polish Congress, Hamilton Branch
  1015 Barton St. E. Hamilton ON L8L 3C8
  www.kpk.org
  Phone : (905) 637 9333
  
  

• Description of the Activities

  The Canadian Polish Congress (CPC) is an umbrella organization established by Polish Canadians to coordinate the activities and to articulate the concerns of the Canadian Polish community on public policy issues. One of its related aims is to promote Polish culture, language, tradition and knowledge of Polish history in Canada.

• Polish Alliance of Canada, Branch 2.
  1015 Barton St. E. Hamilton ON L8L 3C8
  Phone: (905)545 0799
  President: Stanislaw Glogowski
  
  

  Branch 2 Polish Alliance of Canada was established on June 12, 1927 in order to group the Canadians with a Polish background within Hamilton and the surrounding area. The first president of this branch was August Pieprzak. The branch currently consists of 140 members and is one of the most progressive groups in the Alliance

• The W. Reymont Foundation

  
  
  CHARTERED IN ONTARIO
  CHARITABLE CULTURAL ORGANIZATION
  Website
  www.reymontfoundation.com
  President: Kazimierz Chrapka (905) 574 9212

• The Polish-Canadian Women's Federation ( Branch # 18)

  Website
  www.federacjapolek.ca
  President: Adam Biesiadecki Phone: (905) 545 6619
  President: J.Katarzyna Grandwilewska Phone
  (905) 304 7277

• Polish - Canadian Yacht Club

  "ZAWISZA CZARNY"
  Website
  www.yczc.org
  Commodore: Wladyslaw Golab
  Telephone (905) 545 8626

• Adam Mickiewicz Polish Library

  Contact - Manager: Wladyslaw Lopinski Phone (905) 544 5968

• Polish Symfonia Choir in Hamilton Ontario

  President: Janina Mazun Phone (905) 304 9555

• Youth Group / P.C.A.Y. Hamilton

  President: Anna Rak
  Phone: (905) 973 1645
  E-mail: ania_rak_16@hotmail.com

• Polish School - Polish Alliance of Canada, Branch 2

  Principal: Florentyna Lewczuk (905) 385 7520

• School of Polonia in Hamilton

  Principal: Wanda Bujalska (905) 388 3473

• Polish High School Classes

  Principal: Monika Karpińska (905) 318 5211
  Polish High School Principal: Grażyna Karpiuk (905) 573 7790

• Polish School at Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board

  Principal: Jagoda Szot
  (905) 526 9142

• Information about the community youth

  Polish youth attend school all over Hamilton Catholic Schools. Popular music and art the Polish youth like is techno, punk and rock. The youth are involved in soccer, basketball, tennis, skiing and sailing sporting activites.

• Newcomer professionals

  Newcomers to Canada are working mainly in engineering and trade.
  Some of the community's members are attending post-graduate studies in Medicine, Engineering, Law, Social Studies and Visual Arts.

General Information about Poland

• Location:

  The Republic of Poland is one of the largest countries in Central Europe, ranking eight in area.

• Climate:

  temperate with cold, cloudy, moderately severe winters with frequent precipitation; mild summers with frequent showers and thundershowers.

• Capital City:

  Warszawa (Warsaw)

• Holidays:

  Labour Day - May 1, Constitution Day - May 3, Corpus Christi - June 22, Assumption Day - August 15, All Saints Day - Nov 1, Independence Day - Nov 11(a national holiday celebrating the restoration of independence in 1918), Christmas Day - Dec 25, Easter Monday, New Year, Mothers Day - May 26

• Celebrations:

  Other holidays, quite different in character, include Women's Day (8 March; today much less popular than under Communism), Mother's Day (26 May), Granny's Day (21 January) and Children's Day (1 June), all less public and celebrated first and foremost at home.

  A well-established Polish tradition is the celebration of Andrzejki (St. Andrew's Day) - the last festive day before Advent, with fortune-telling to check what the new year will bring. The best-known method is by pouring hot wax into cold water and "reading" its shapes.

  Christmas is a very festive holiday in Poland. Many customs, ceremonies and beliefs centre on Christmas Eve, a special day in Polish homes. Christmas Eve was believed to affect the entire new year. For this reason, it had to be spent in harmony and peace, with everyone showing the utmost kindness to one another. Today it is still devoted to long preparations for Christmas Eve dinner, all the work having to be done before dusk. Then the whole family sit down to dine together, in the most important event on that day.

  Traditionally, Christmas Eve dinner begins when the first star has appears in the sky. First, there is a prayer, sometimes with a passage from scripture about Jesus' birth being read out. Then the family wish one another all the best for the new year and, as a sign of reconciliation, love, friendship and peace, share oplatek Christmas wafers that symbolise holy bread.

  The dinner consists only of meatless dishes. Traditionally, there should be twelve courses - reflecting the number of months in the year or, in different interpretation, Christ's apostles. The last Thursday of the carnival is a day on which Poles stuff themselves with paczki (doughnuts) and deep-fried narrow strips of pastry known as chrust or faworki . The most colorful religious feast before Easter is Palm Sunday, celebrated in churches across the country to commemorate Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem. On Holy Saturday people bring baskets of their Easter fare to church for a special blessing for all the different Easter foods. This typically Polish tradition dates back to the 14th century.

• National Symbols:

  
  

  *Polish Flag is made of two equal, horizontal stripes: white and red. It was officially recognized in 1919, one year after Poland regained her independence

  *Polish Eagle (Polish Emblem) was officially recognized in 1918. In the years of communism, the eagle was deprived of it's crown. In 1990, the crown was restored.

  Abroad, the Polish flag with the Polish Eagle on the white stripe [State flag] is used only for diplomatic representation of the Republic of Poland.

• National anthem:

  Mazurek Dabrowskiego (Dabrowski's Mazurka) It was created between 16 and 19 of July, 1795 in Reggio di Emilia in Italy, on the occasion of the departure of the Polish legions, led by general Jan Henryk Dabrowski (1755-1818) to fight in the Napoleonic wars (supporting the French dictator)listen