Polish Defence Attaché to Canada, Capt.(N) Krzysztof Książek presented Polish Army Medal (Bronze) to Canadian Forces Honorary Colonel, Jeff Martin for erecting a monument commemorating two polish pilots killed in an accident in Elgin, NB in 1943. Capt. Książek also visited the memorial cenotaph for polish pilots in Elgin, NB and a cemetery in Moncton, where the pilots are buried. History of Polish Pilots Monument...

During the Dieppe Raid commemoration ceremony organized by Dieppe Military Veterans' Association in New Brunswick, the Attaché and Honorary Consul of Poland Jan Skora layed a wreath to commemorate this event and also Poland's contribution to this operation. During this operation, a Polish Navy destroyer ORP Ślązak (Silesian) saved over 80 Canadian servicemen from the beaches of Dieppe, France in 1942 and transported them back to England. ORP Ślązak was the only ship that actively engaged in saving the wounded soldiers. More about Polish Canadian hero...

As part of his visit, Capt. Książek visited Nova Scotia and the Consulate of Poland for Atlantic Provinces in Halifax.

Ceremonial face-off at an international game University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds vs Poland’s National men’s hockey team, featuring Jan Skora, Poland's Honorary Consul for Atlantic Canada, Chief Candace Paul, of St. Mary's First Nation, and former UNB Red Devil Jim Morrell.

Former NHL Coach of the Year Ted Nolan is the head coach of the Polish team. Former Varsity Reds head coach Tom Coolen from Halifax is his assistant. Both were hired by the Polish Ice Hockey Federation in July 2017.

Consul Skora was presented with Poland’s National men’s hockey team jersey with autographs of all players.

This year Poland celebrates 99 years of independence gained on November 11, 1918. Prior to this date Poland had been partitioned among Russia, Prussia and Austria and wiped off the map of Europe for 123 years. After World War II Poland lost its independence for several decades and finally regained it in 1989. Today, Poland is one of the leading European countries.

This year anniversary celebrated at the University of King's College in Halifax was attended by Mr. Andrzej Kurnicki, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Canada, Colonel Cezary Kiszkowiak, Military, Naval and Air Attaché of the Republic of Poland in Canada, Mr. Lukasz Weremiuk, First Counsellor, Head of Political Unit at the Polish Embassy in Ottawa, Honourable Tony Ince, Minister of Public Service Commission and African Nova Scotian Affairs on behalf of NS Premier Stephen McNeil, Honorary Consuls, members of Polish organizations - Polish Canadian Society of Nova Scotia, Polish Canadian Women's Federation Halifax branch and Nova Scotia Society of Polish Artists as well as local polish diaspora and our Canadian friends.

During his visit to Halifax, Ambassador Andrzej Kurnicki had an opportunity to meet with the Mayor of Halifax Regional Municipality Mr. Mike Savage, HRM Councillor Lorelei Nicoll and Honorary Consul of Poland Jan Skora to discuss the plan for cultural exchange and business co-operation between the sister cities of Halifax and Gdynia in Poland. He provided a lecture at Saint Mary's University about the Opportunities and Challenges for Canadian Businesses under the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union. The Ambassador also visited the Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax. See pictures...

In 1943, two polish pilots; Major Andrzej Markiewicz and Lieutenant Mieczyslaw Glód crashed near Elgin in extreme weather conditions during the training exercise in preparation for an overseas mission in Europe. Both pilots are buried at the cemetery in Moncton.

This year, at the initiative of Jeff Martin, local businessman and community leader, a cenotaph has been erected to commemorate this event. The unveiling of the monument was attended by the Military, Naval and Air Attaché Col. Cezary Kiszkowiak from the Embassy of the Republick of Poland in Ottawa, Honorary Consul Jan Skora, Alaina Lockhart Member of Parliament, members of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick and members of Polish and Canadian community.
See pictures...

Lieutenant Commander Tadeusz Fajter on behalf of Vice Admiral Stanislaw Zarychta, Commander Polish Maritime Operations Centre - Maritime Component presented a commemorative plaque to Consul Jan Skora.

Delegation from the Polish Navy in front of an anchor from Canada's last aircraft carrier, H.M.C.S. Bonaventure in Point Pleasant Park in Halifax.

Saint Mary's University has just signed two agreements with the University of Wroclaw. These agreements are in follow up to a visit to Wroclaw in April by Steve Smith, Dean of Science, and Marie Braswell, Director of Recruitment. The agreements are:

- a general agreement for co-operation and
- an agreement to establish mobility of students and faculty between both universities, to co-operate on research, to encourage visiting lecturers and more.

Saint Mary's University was founded in 1802. It is a mid-sized Canadian university of approx. 7,000 students located in the south end of Halifax Nova Scotia. One of Saint Mary's most distinguishing characteristics is its global focus. One of Canada's most international campuses, Saint Mary's boasts more than 1,000 international students and has forged more than 40 international partnership agreements.

The University of Wroclaw (picture on left) was founded in 1702, it is one of the oldest collegiate-level institutions of higher education in Central Europe with around 30,000 students (2012). There are 10 faculties that provide 44 areas of study, in which the language medium is mostly in Polish, with only some in English. The University of Wroclaw provides Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral level programmes. All of the degree certificates awarded by UWr are recognised globally.

Polish artists from across the province of Nova Scotia recently showcased their work at a special heritage celebration in Windsor. The Nova Scotia Society of Polish Artists commemorated the contributions of Polish immigrants to Canadian culture at an art show at the Windsor Golf Center May 18-22. The event, organized by Dr. Teresa Machel, featured eighteen artists representing various mediums. The celebration focused on 265 years of Polish immigration to Canada - the first immigrant arrived in 1752 - and the impact artists have had on the country.

The Polish Embassy in Ottawa and the Nova Scotia Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage were the major sponsors of the event.

See pictures...

Consul Kucy from the Polish Embassy in Ottawa met with the Mayor of HRM, Mike Savage and Councillor Lorelei Nicoll to continue the process of twinning Halifax and Gdynia (Poland). This has been initiated by the Honorary Consul Jan Skora almost two years ago and partially implemented. The Immigration Museum at Pier 21 in Halifax established a vibrant and a very effective contact with the Museum of Emigration in Gdynia. The Polish Navy Museum has engaged with the newly proposed Battle of the Atlantic Museum in Halifax. Consul Kucy also discussed exchange opportunities with universities in Poland.

Another great social event organized by the Polish Canadian Society of Nova Scotia (PCSNS). Around 45 participants, both new and familiar faces of all ages, including many young families enjoyed the horse sleigh ride at Hatfield Farms.

PCSNS came to life in December 2014. It engages Poles and Canadians with connection or interest in Polish culture to celebrate and promote the Polish-Canadian presence in Nova Scotia. Anyone who is interested in Polish culture can get involved in the initiatives organized by PCSNS regardless of their heritage or language proficiency.

Follow PCSNS on their Facebook account to stay upated about future events.

2016 marks the 98th anniversary of Poland's Independence regained on November 11, 1918 after 123 years of partitions by neighbouring totalitarian countries. The Polish community celebrated the anniversary to respect and recognize thousands of people who lost their lives in the struggle for independence. The event took place at the University of King's College in Halifax.

This year anniversary was attended by many honoured guests - Charge d'affaires Polish Embassy in Ottawa, Mr. Lukasz Weremiuk, Consul of the Republic of Poland in Ottawa Mrs. Aleksandra Kucy, Colonel Cezary Kiszkowiak, Defence, Military, Naval and Air Attache of the Republic of Poland to Canada Honourable Lena Diab, Minister of Immigration of Nova Scotia, Honorary Consuls in Nova Scotia and members of local community. See pictures...

The evening featured a screening of a movie "Karbala". The movie is based on true story portraying the absolute bravery of Polish soldiers in a battle that took place during the holy day of Ashura in April 2004, when the Shiites of Karbala rose up against the US-led multinational forces, which included a Polish contingent. The confrontation took place at Karbala's City Hall, where the allied forces had their headquarters. It is rather the story about people who were thrown into extreme conditions and didn't expect to fight with such intensity, but they overcame their fear and just persevered to the end. This was the largest battle in which Polish soldiers had participated after the end of World War II.

The Polish - Canadian Society of Nova Scotia invites you and a guest to attend the 2nd Polish Film Festival in Halifax.

'Peter and the Wolf'(Suzie Templeton, 2006)
Family film screening is FREE and will include activities for children. It is appropriate for school-aged children and up.
In this adaptation of Sergei Prokofiev's symphonic narrative, beautifully crafted stop-motion animation replaces Prokofiev's narrator, and a twenty-first century ending challenges viewers to think about humans' relationship with nature. The film, which was made in Lodz at Se-ma-for Studios, won the Oscar for best animated short.

'Bogowie' (Lukasz Palkowski, 2014)
Reception to follow.
Tickets at the door: $5 for one or $8 for two movies.
Zbigniew Religa performed the first successful heart transplant in Poland in 1987 - a grueling, 23-hour operation considered almost impossible at the time. This award-winning dramatization explores Religa's struggles against ethical objectors, bureaucracy, and lack of funding in a complex era, capturing the intensity of the operating room, the energy and even the arrogance of this medical trailblazer. In Polish with English subtitles. This film is sponsored by the Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Halifax and the Polish Embassy of Poland in Ottawa.

'Demon' (Marcin Wrona, 2015)
Reception to follow.
Tickets at the door: $5 for one or $8 for two movies.
This chilling, uncanny film is based on the Jewish tale of the dybbuk, the spirit of a deceased person who possesses a living one. It is part historical allegory, part bloodless horror film, part family drama, and part black comedy. This Polish-Israeli co-production is as engaging as it is artistically powerful. In Polish, English, and Yiddish with English subtitles.

The Nova Scotia Legislature honours Consul Skora for his dedicated contributions to promoting cultural and economic ties between Poland and Nova Scotia as well as for his achievements in the field or architecture and urban planning in Nova Scotia.

Every year Consul Skora organizes and contributes to a variety of events related to the Polish - Canadian relationship. Some of the examples are twinning of City of Halifax with City of Gdynia, Poland, co-operation and information exchange between sister ships ORP "BLYSKAWICA" and HMCS "SACKVILLE" and many others.

The award ceremony was hosted by the Minister of Immigration of Nova Scotia, Hon. Lena Diab who handed in the recognition awards to outstanding Nova Scotians for their continuous effort to the success of the province.

Honorary Consul Jan Skora pays tribute to two polish aviators laid to rest at the Moncton cemetary in New Brunswick, Canada. Please contact me if you can help find some relatives in Poland of these men.

INCIDENT REPORT:
On the evening of May 7, 1943, fourteen Ansons, twin-engine bombers, took off from RCAF Station Chatham on a training exercise. The weather was clear at the time but a heavy fog rolled in shortly after the exercise began. Two Ansons ran out of fuel over water and one ditched into Miramichi Bay near Bay du Vin and one near Bathurst, drowning two trainees. Another made a forced landing on a highway near Bathurst and all survived.

The aircraft with the two Polish aviators, Major Andrzej Markiewicz and Lieutenant Mieczyslaw Glod, crashed into a hill near Elgin, New Brunswick, killing the two Polish trainees and the instructor. The pilot survived. The crash occurred in the early morning hours of May 8.

The Battle of Britain, which started in the fall of 1940, involved the British Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and also airmen from: Poland, Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Ireland, Jamaica, Newfoundland, New Zealand, Rhodesia, South Africa and the United States.

International delegates arrived in Dieppe for the ceremony. Hon. Consul Jan Skora laid a wreath to commemorate 145 Polish pilots who fought in the battle on behalf of Polish government.

The last Polish pilot from the Battle of Britain, Brigadier General Tadeusz Sawicz, died in October 2012 in Toronto.

Thanks to incredible support and hard work by many people, St. Mary's Polish Church in Whitney Pier, Nova Scotia, the only Polish church in Atlantic Canada, has re-opened after the fire in 2014.

Established in 1913, the church is the centre of Cape Breton's Polish community, one of the longest-standing Polish communities in Canada.

The Open House took place on Sunday, June 26, 2016 and the official Mass of Consecration was held on Sunday, July 3, 2016. Everyone was welcome to see the beautiful church including the Polish community in Halifax.

See pictures....

Another great event organized by the Polish Canadian Society of Nova Scotia and the Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Nova Scotia.

Hon Consul, Jan Skora, provided remarks on the occasion of 225th anniversary of adoption of the Constitution of May 3, the first written constitution in modern Europe and the second in the world, after America's. He also handed a commemorative medal for the 70th Anniversary of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising awarded by the Polish Government to Mr. Zahorski.

The Polish Canadian Society of Nova Scotia prepared a wonderful program to celebrate their achievements in preserving Polish history, culture and traditions with an added Polish - Canadian focus. There are about 1 Million people of Polish decent curently living in Canada. In February of 2002, the Senate of the Republic of Poland adopted a resolution setting aside May 2nd as a day to honor the worldwide Polonia.

The event was attended by: Lieutenant Governor J.J Grant and Mrs. Grant, Hon Lena Diab, Minister of Immigration on behalf of Premier Stephen McNeil, Hon Michael MacDonald, Chief Justice of Nova Scotia, Hon Tony Ince, Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage, Mike Savage, Mayor of Halifax, Matt Whitman, Deputy Mayor of Halifax, representatives of the Consular Corps of Nova Scotia, members of Polish and Canadian community. See pictures....

At the invitation of the Honorary Polish Consul in Halifax, Jan Skora, the Battle of the Atlantic Society participated in a study tour of Polish Museums in October 2015. The main goal was to establish a relationship between Polish ORP 'Blyskawica', the oldest preserved destroyer in the world, and Canadian HMCS 'Sackville', both being historic ships and of cultural significance to their respective navies.

As a result of the visit, Cdr Lubkowski, CO of ORP 'Blyskawica' and Lt Cdr Jarosz, Deputy Commander of the Sailing Training Center of the Polish Navy visited Halifax May 16 - 21, 2016 to pursue this goal and present the future ways of cooperation between both countries and represent Poland's contribution to the Battle of the Atlantic in the new Battle of the Atlantic Place museum destined to be built on the Halifax waterfront. See pictures of the visit and Press Release.

At the initiative of the Honorary Consul, Jan Skora, the City of Halifax and the City of Gdynia, Poland started preparing for declaring both cities as "sister" cities. A delegation from Halifax travelled to Poland in October 2015 to establish initial contact. As a result of the visit the Mayor of Gdynia accepted the proposal in an official letter to Mike Savage, Mayor of Halifax.

A meeting with Mayor Mike Savage took place on May 13, 2016 to plan future potential cooperation between both cities in the economic and cultural areas. The existence of the Emigration Museum in Gdynia and the Canadiann Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 in Halifax proves that the possible cooperation holds a huge potential.

The European Union Centre of Excellence with the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies at Dalhousie University, in conjunction with the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Ottawa and the Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Halifax organized the talk about the Road to the NATO Warsaw Summit in July 2016, how to strengthen NATO and enhance European security. About 80 guests participated in this seminar.

The speaker was Robert Kupiecki, Former Poland's Deputy Minister of National Defence, Former Ambassador to the United States of America, Former Deputy Ambassador to NATO and currently Professor in the Institute of International Relations, National Defence University Warsaw, Poland.

The screening of the Polish movies covering the achievements of Polish cinematography in the period of 1945 to 1989 will take place in Halifax during the months of February and March 2016. This is the full list of films. The program was organized by Prof. Fred Young, with the support of the Honorary Consul of Poland in Halifax.

I encourage you to register for this program, especially because we do not often have a chance to see such films in cinema format in Halifax. If you have additional questions please contact SCANS at info@theSCANS.ca or (902) 444-7588.

Gen. Rozanski participated in the Halifax International Security Forum November 20 - 22, 2015. During his visit Gen. Rozanski, Col. Gluszczak and Col. Kiszkowiak met at the Polish Consulate to discuss future plans for the participation and cooperation of the Polish Armed Forces in projects initiated by the Consulate in Halifax. The Polish Ambassador who participated in the Security Forum also met with the Consul to discuss current and new projects recently initiated by Halifax Consulate of RP.

On the picture from the left:
Col. Cezary Kiszkowiak, the Polish Defense Attache in Ottawa
Jan Skora, Honorary Consul of Poland in Nova Scotia
Gen. Miroslaw Rozanski, Commander of the Polish Armed Forces
Col. Szczepan Gluszczak, Armed Forces of Poland

This year marks the 97th Anniversary of Poland's Independence regained on November 11, 1918 after 123 years of partitions by neighbouring totalitarian countries. We celebrated the anniversary to respect and recognize thousands of people who lost their lives in the struggle for independence. The event took place at the University of King's College in Halifax.

This year anniversary was attended by many honoured guests - Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia, the Honourable J.J Grant and Mrs. Grant, Andy Fillmore Member of Parliament, Honourable Lena Diab Minister of Immigration, Honourable Tony Ince Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage and Minister of African Nova Scotian Affairs, Rear-Admiral John Newton Commander Maritime Forces Atlantic and Joint Task Force Atlantic, Matt Whitman Deputy Mayor of Halifax, Steven Giegerich U.S. Consul General, Honorary Consuls in Nova Scotia and members of local community. See pictures...

The evening featured a screening of a movie "Warsaw Uprising 1944" about one of the most heroic episodes of the Polish history, 1944 Warsaw Uprising. It was compiled from the original documentary materials. The story is shown through the eyes of an US airman, who escaped from the Nazi POW camp, and two young Polish soldiers - reporters. They try to document not only the drastic scenes from the front line but also moments of relaxation of the fighters and the daily life of ordinary residents.

On the initiative of the Polish Consulate in Halifax, with significant assistance of the Polish Embassy in Ottawa and the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a delegation of cultural institutions of the province of Nova Scotia went on a study visit to Poland which took place from October 5 - 10, 2015. The delegation included representatives from the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, the Museum of Natural History and the Museum of the Battle of the Atlantic. During the visit, the delegation visited the city of Warsaw, Krakow, Gdynia and Gdansk and participated in meetings with institutions that are interested in cooperation with museums in the Province of Nova Scotia.

On the initiative of the Polish Consul in Halifax, efforts have been initiated to establish the City of Gdynia as a sister city with Halifax. The delegation had the opportunity to meet with representatives of Gdynia and pass formal offer of the City of Halifax regarding the possibility of cultural and economic cooperation.

Defence, Military, Naval and Air Attache Colonel Cezary Kiszkowiak visited Halifax to meet with the Polish veterans, representatives of the Canadian Armed Forces and members of polish community. He also met with the Military Veterans Association in Dieppe, New Brunswick. see pictures...

"The Death of Captain Pilecki" is a story of the Polish Intelligence officer who wrote the first intelligence report on Auschwitz in 1941, which enabled the Polish Government in exile to convince the Western Allies that the Nazi crimes were taking place in this camp. He volunteered for Polish resistance operations and was willingly imprisoned in Auschwitz in order to gather intelligence. While there, Pilecki organized a resistance movement and escaped after nearly two and a half years of imprisonment. He took part in the Warsaw Uprising in 1944, remained loyal to the London-based Polish government, and was executed in 1948 by the communist secret police. This film is co-presented with the Polish Consul in Nova Scotia, Mr. Jan Skora, and the Polish Embassy in Ottawa, to celebrate Polish Constitution Day.

"Ida" is this year's winner of the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. Set in 1962, it tells the story of a young Polish woman who discovers, just before she takes her vows to be a Catholic nun, that she is Jewish. With her aunt, a Communist party member, the sheltered and devout young woman travels to the village where their family was hidden by Christians during the war and then betrayed. With characteristic black-and- white photos and convincingly delineated characters, Ida raised public recognition around the world. It is co-presented with the Atlantic Jewish Council.

The Polish community gathered at St. Anthony's Church in Dartmouth to share Christmas tree tradition, carol singing, sharing of 'oplatek' (Christmas wafer) and wishes for good health, prosperity and happiness in the New Year.

All the money she raised will be collected by Coalition for Kids International and sent to help the sick children.

The Honorary Consul of Poland donated a beautiful album "Katyn" to the Halifax Central Library opened on December 13, 2014.

The book is a gift for participating in the movie screening "Katyn" during the Polish Independence Day commemoration on November 17, 2014. The movie tells the story about a mass execution of 22,000 Polish POW officers, intellectuals and clergy ordered by the Soviet authorities in 1940.

The library director is the son of a Polish pilot who took part in the Battle of England. The book will give the local community the opportunity to learn about the Polish history from the period of the Second World War.

An active discussion took place during a visit about creating opportunities for international co-operation between the residents and institutions residing in Nova Scotia. Often historical documents of great value are stored in private collections. To avoid a possibility of their destruction or getting lost, the individuals would have an opportunity to contact the IPN and request the assessment of the documents with the possibility of transferring them to the IPN Institute in Poland.