History of the Polish War Veterans Society
Our Founding Members and How it Started:
At the end of 1929, the crash of the New York Stock Exchange lead to the period known as the “Great Depression” or “the crisis,” as it was referred to in Europe. In Montreal and the surrounding area, more than 40% of the population was unemployed. When the Conservatives under R. B. Bennett came to power in 1932, the new parliament approved 20 million dollars for public works. In this way, Canada preceded Roosevelt’s “New Deal” by several months. Unemployment benefits and social insurance were approved only in 1940. Earlier, in 1933, the CCF (Cooperative Commonwealth Federation), a new movement formed in Regina, pledged in its manifesto to “eradicate capitalism” and establish social justice.
At the turn of the 1920s and 1930s, the Polish community in Montreal numbered about 10,000 people. They lived mainly around Frontenac Street and Pointe St. Charles. The crisis hit them harder than others. The first to be dismissed from work were the newly arrived and unskilled laborers. Those who still had jobs were forced to voluntarily reduce their wages. Julian Topolnicki, a well-known community activist, recalled how, while working as a railway-car cleaner at the CNR station in Lachine, he lowered his wage from 30 cents per hour to 24 cents. He earned $1.92 per day; $11.52 per week for six days of work. Others were unemployed and without means of support. Marcin Furman, another well-known activist, recalled how in summer they slept on Mount Royal, and in winter and bad weather at the CNR station.
Poles often gathered in the newly purchased Polish House of the White Eagle Society when they wanted to speak with someone in Polish, to complain, seek advice, or to exchange thoughts. One would frequently run into Reserve Captain Ludwik Wiktor there. Wiktor, a sapper captain who arrived in Montreal in 1926, worked as an engineer at Dominion Engineering, and willingly offered advice and assistance. During many meetings, conversations, and complaints, the idea of establishing an organization that would bring together former soldiers emerged. Most participants in these “night talks” were former servicemen who had come to Canada in search of a better future. From these discussions, the first group of organizers emerged to form the Polish Veteran’s Society: Capt. Ludwik Wiktor, Piotr Budzik, Kazimierz Czapski, Tadeusz Kociszyn, Józef Morganty, Antoni Piątkowski, Stefan Sękowski, and Florian Szuszkowski. Twenty-two other Polish Veterans who were regulars at the Polish House of the White Eagle Society later joined the group.
On Sunday, September 21, 1930, after Holy Mass, this group of former soldiers gathered at the Polish House on Frontenac Street. At this first meeting, they approved the establishment of the Polish Veterans’ Society.
The assembled members elected the first board of the new organization:
President – Capt. Ludwik Wiktor;
Vice-presidents – Eugeniusz Michaelis de Henning and Antoni Piątkowski;
Secretary – Stanisław Batowski;
Treasurer – Florian Szuszkowski.
How We Got Our Name
During a meeting of the Society on 22 May 1933, Julian Topolnicki made the proposal to add the name "Polish War Veterans Society" the words "of Marshal Jozef Pilsudski", for which the members unanimously voted in favour, and a formal request was drafted and sent to the Marshal in Poland. The reply from the Marshal was prompt, expressing his great joy and acceptance of the patronage of the Society.
Next, the design of the Society Banner was finalized, and it was sewn and embroidered in Warsaw, for a cost of $60. The banner reached Montreal on March 18, 1934, on the day of the Marshal’s name-day celebrations.
Thirteen months later, members of the Society took part in a memorial Mass for the soul of the late Marshal Józef Piłsudski, who had died on May 12, 1935. Since that time, every year in May, the Society's members participate in a Mass offered for our Patron and for the deceased members of our organization.
WORLD WAR II AND POST-WAR ERA
Even before World War II, our members actively supported Poland and created the National Defence Fund to financially support their Homeland in times of war. During WWII Montreal hosted many Poles, among them Polish engineers in various fields related to the defense industry, bomber pilots who arrived for training, as well as pilots who flew the planes from the Canadair plant to deliver them to the front. All were given support and aid by the Society. Among Polish Canadians there were also many volunteers enlisting in the Polish Forces, organized by Gen. Br. Duch, Gen. Haller and Gen Sikorski, who visited our Society in Montreal three times in the years 1941, 42 and 43. In 1944, Gen. Kazimierz Sosnkowski settled permanently in Montreal.
During this time, the Society members began thinking about acquiring a building and a resolution was passed on February 8, 1942 to begin the process. It was not until February 11, 1945, however, that the building on Prince Arthur Street East was purchased, for the amount of $ 42,500. Unfortunately, four years later a fire destroyed part of the building, including the first banner of the Society as well as a part of the library.
After the reconstruction was completed in 1950, numerous Polish organizations found a home within the walls of the Society’s building, including the Canadian Polish Congress, The Polish Combatants’ Association Branch no.7, The Polish Technicians Society, the Home Army, The Air Force Association Wilno Wing 310, The "Lachman" Choir, and even a Polish School. Additionally, as part of the reconstruction, rental space was created which allowed the Society to become a financially independent organization and could also provide financial support to other Polish Canadian organizations. The society also helped the newcomers who joined its ranks, veterans of WWII, offering them financial aid which was very necessary and hepful at the time.
50th Anniversary Jubilee: 1930–1980
The life of an organization is measured by its anniversaries. Jubilees of 10, 15, and 25 years. In 1955, the 15th anniversary of the Veterans’ Union was celebrated modestly. The date of the jubilee fell during a difficult period: ten years after purchasing the House on Prince Arthur and six years after the fire. Because of the fire, there is little information about how these anniversaries were marked.
25 years later, in 1980, the Polish Veterans’ Union celebrated its 50th anniversary, marking half a century of activity. At the request of the board, Tadeusz Sypniewski prepared a Jubilee Book for the 50th anniversary, 1930–1980. The 40-page publication contains a list of members, living and deceased, as well as the list of boards and the history of the Veterans’ Union.
In May 1985, the 50th anniversary of the death of Marshal Józef Piłsudski was also observed. At the invitation of the board, Dr. Wanda Piłsudska, the Marshal’s daughter, visited Montreal.
A New Direction: The Future
In the 1960s and 1970s, Prince Arthur Street underwent major redevelopment. It was closed to car traffic and transformed into a long, several-block pedestrian promenade. At the same time, the ground floors of residential buildings began to be converted into restaurants, bars, discos, and specialty shops. In the summer, afternoons and evenings are filled with the lively noise of restaurant-goers, mostly at Greek and Italian establishments, with a touch of the exotic and including the traditional Polish “Mazurka” restaurant.
As a result, the value of the Veterans’ building increased, but so did the municipal property tax. Unfortunately, the development of the Society did not keep pace with the development of Prince Arthur Street, instead quite the opposite.
There were growing fears that the Society would slowly and inevitably cease to exist. A Statutory Committee elected by the General Assembly, M. Kubacki (chair), J. Rawicz, F. Kwasiborski, F. Szuszkowski, A. Nachaj, M. Studenny, and W. Jankowski, set out to reverse this decline. The Committee proposed a bold resolution: that the only hope for the organization's survival was to amend Article III of the Statute to allow wives and children of Veterans to join as full members. The Committee also proposed removing the age restriction for new members, thus allowing individuals over 65 to join.
This courageous resolution was unanimously approved on October 11, 1981. At the same time, paragraph 12 of Article XII was amended to read: “The Society cannot be dissolved as long as at least thirteen (13) members belong to it. In the event of dissolution, all Society property shall form the Marshal Józef Piłsudski Foundation in Montreal. The purpose and Statute of such a Foundation shall be developed by a Committee elected by the members.” At the end of the 1980s, a change of leadership occurred. New people, experienced community activists, took the helm, and introduced new ideas and social activities, membersip increased, and a new era of growth and development began under the leadership of President Konstanty Januszkiewicz and continued with his successors into the next century.
The New Millenium
By the early 2000's the Society's building began showing its age and was in need of major renovations. Restoration work began in 2007 on one external wall, followed by a phased plan for the remaining work under the leadership of new president Jozef Foltyn: The second wall reconstruction was completed in 2015 and a third wall in 2020, during the challenging time of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the final phase, the restoration of the facade of the building, to commence in the near future.
During his tenure as president, Jozef Foltyn also encouraged many new members to join the organization, and worked tirelessly to increase the Society's visibility within the community, especially among the youngest generation of polish-canadians, organizing educational presentations by "witnesses of history" with schoolchildren and youth, as well as creating a permanent exhibit of Polish military uniforms and memorabilia, donated by our members and their families.
PRESENT DAY AND BEYOND
Today, under the leadership of President Andrzej Okoniewski, the Polish War Veterans Society continues to be guided by its mission, and although our war veterans are slowly departing, the military traditions of the Society are ever present. The families of our veterans now play an active role in the running of the affairs of the Society, and new members are also joining the ranks: Polish Canadians with past military service in the Polish Forces now residing in Canada, Polish Canadians serving in the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as family members of Polish Veterans.
The Society's meeting hall continues to serve as a gathering place for our members, as well as hosting educational and cultural initiatives in partnership with other community organizations, including historical lectures, book launches, movie screenings, scolarship presentations, and student events.
