The opening ceremony took place at the St. John Paul II Polish Cultural Center in Mississauga.
The Deputy President of the IPN, Professor Karol Polejowski opened the Institute’s exhibition dedicated to the journey of over 116,000 Poles, civilians and General Anders’ soldiers, as well as the combat trail of General Maczek’s 1st Armored Division. The event took place in Mississauga, the fastest growing urban center in Canada.
“The exhibition, which is part of the "Trails of Hope. The Odyssey of Freedom" international project carried out by the Institute of National Remembrance has now arrived on Canadian soil," said the Deputy President of the IPN.
Prof. Karol Polejowski also stressed the fact that thanks to the presentation of the exhibition, Canadians will be able to find out more about the history of World War II from the Polish perspective:
We are currently presenting the exhibition to the Polish community, but it will soon be shown by Canadian institutions and will be displayed in Canada for weeks to come. The aim of the project is not only to inform about the Polish contribution to the victory over German National Socialism, but also to present the fate of Poles, soldiers and civilians during World War II, including those who found themselves under Soviet occupation and in gulags. By means of thisinitiative, we would also like to highlight Polish-Canadian brotherhood and stress the fact that Polish-Canadian ties are very close and have lasted for many decades.
Prior to the official opening, Prof. Karol Polejowski and Magdalena Pszczółkowska, Consul General of the Republic of Poland in Toronto, laid flowers and lit candles in front of the "Spiral of Victory" monument, dedicated to the veterans of the Polish Air Force during World War II, and in front of the Patriot's Monument, an expression of gratitude to compatriots dedicated to the service of their homeland.