The opening of the IPN exhibition in Toronto was attended by the IPN President Karol Nawrocki, Ph.D. and Polish Consul General Magdalena Pszczółkowska. Among the attendees were also Ontario Province Minister of Education Stephen Leece, Major Zbigniew Gondek, the Anders Army and the Battle of Monte Cassino veteran, as well as members of the local Polish diaspora.
The exhibition you are about to see today describes the war experience of people like Zbigniew Gondek who was born in 1924 in south-east Poland. His father was a Polish officer who was arrested by the Soviets and murdered in the Katyń Massacre. Zbigniew and his mother were sent to Siberia and after the 1941 German invasion of the Soviet Union, like thousands of other Poles he joined the Anders’ Army, said the IPN President Karol Nawrocki Ph.D. during the opening of the exhibition, referring to the story of one of the attendees Major Zbigniew Gondek.
During his speech the IPN President spoke about the Institute’s flagship project “Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom”. What is unique about it is that it entails much more than an exhibition. It is also about education, commemoration and the renovation of memorials in all corners of the world which are related to General Anders’ journey.
I would like to emphasize the fact that Poles and Canadians do have a common chapter in history, too. It started before the Second World War with the wave of Polish immigrants. When the world conflict broke out Polish and Canadian armed forces worked together on land, sea, and air, said Karol Nawrocki, Ph.D. about the war effort of Poles and Canadians.
What we truly appreciate is the fact that in those difficult times of need, Canadians did not forget about Poles. Your government gave shelter to Polish war refugees, including children, people liberated from German concentration camps, and veterans. Those who were not able to return to Poland for political reasons found a safe haven here, in Canada. In the 1990s, an additional 115,000 Polish anti-communism activists settled mainly in Toronto and Ontario, stressed the IPN President speaking about the post-war fate of Polish emigrants to Canada.
During his stay in Toronto the IPN President Karol Nawrocki, Ph.D. also visited the local branch and the museum of the Polish Combatants Association (SPK) and met with Chairman Ted Opitz, who outlined the SPK history and work.
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The Royal Canadian Military Institute is an independent member-supported organization which promotes the study and discussion of military history, defense, security and international affairs, for the benefit of its members and the public. During World War II, Polish and Canadian armed forces cooperated on land, sea and air. Our armies struggled together at Arnhem, Falaise and Monte Cassino, among others. Poles fighting in the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 could count on Canadian military assistance.
Read more about the “Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom” IPN project: https://szlakinadziei.ipn.gov.pl/sne
Read also: The IPN President Karol Nawrocki, Ph.D. paid tribute to Poles in Canada