May was a special month in the Canadian province in Ontario, the most populous Canadian province located in east-central Canada, where I live.

It’s home to Ottawa, Canada’s capital, to Toronto, Ontario’s capital, the famous Niagara Falls as well as Missisauga, a big city neighbouring Toronto, with population of around 750,000 people and with the largest Polish diaspora in Canada. It’s said that there are over 1 million Canadians who have Polish roots.

In 2021 the legislature od Ontario passed the Polish Heritage Month Act, 2021 proclaiming the month of May as Polish Heritage Month, to recognize the impact that Polish Canadians have had on Ontario’s history, culture and democratic institutions. As it says: “Ontario is home to more than 523,000 people of Polish heritage. Polish Canadians have lived in Ontario since the 19th century and, over the years, have made significant contributions to Ontario’s society, economy, politics and culture.”

There were many events to celebrate Poland, polishness and Ontario’s Polish community in May, including a parade in Toronto. Mississauga held its annual Polish Day not in June, as it did before the pandemic, but in May.

In this episode I invite you to join me on this beautiful sunny day – we take a walk together and chat to many people: some VIPs and many wonderful people from Mississauga and other parts of the Greater Toronto Area who came in huge numbers to the downtown Celebration Square, just steps from Mississauga City Hall, to enjoy Polish food, dances, music, performances on the main stage, numerous vendors’ and organizations’ stands and much more. See how colourful and spectacular it was and the multicultural crowds who came to enjoy the day, free for all and with free parking:

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These are some of the people I spoke to:

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