May is a very special month for Poland and Poles around the world.
On May 1, 20 years ago in 2004, Poland joined the EU, which changed its life and its future forever. Being part of the European family, being able to develop – all that is precious and the beautiful Poland you see now would not be what it is had this event not taken place. Poles can travel freely to all EU countries, work and live there as they please. Now Poles are citizens of Europe and Polish passports are European Union passports, highly valued across the world.
This year on May 1 Poland and Poles all over te globe celebrated this anniversary.
But the first days of May are also:
• Polonia and Polish Flag day on May 2
• Polish Constitution Day on May 3, commemorating the May 3rd, 1791 Polish constitution, the first democratic and progressive constitution in Europe and 2nd in the world after the American one. This is one of the most important dates in Poland’s history and marks the centuries long struggle for freedom and independence.
Canada, the multicultural and diverse mosaic of over 200 ethnic groups, has always been welcoming and happy to share and celebrate Polish heritage.
We have seen Niagara Falls in white and red (also this year), The tallest free-standing structure in the world Toronto’s CN Tower lit up in our white and red colours.
My province of Ontario proclaimed May as the Polish Heritage Month 3 years ago. So called Bill 18 was introduced as a private bill by MPP Christine Hogarth. The bill received Royal Assent on December 9, 2021 by The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell.
Ontario is home for over than half million people with Polish heritage. The Polish community is one of the most numerous groups in Ontario. By proclaiming the month of May as Polish Heritage Month, the Province of Ontario recognized great impact that Polish Canadians have had on Ontario’s history, culture and community.
On 7 February of this year, the Canadian Parliament voted unanimously to designate May as the national Polish heritage month all across Canada. The MPs in the House of Commons emphasized that this recognition is for the significant contributions made by the Canadian Polish community towards building a better and more dynamic society, economy, politics, and culture in Canada. Moreover, every May 3, Canada will celebrate the Constitution Day of the Republic of Poland.
Naturally, the idea got huge support from Polish Canadians, but it was Peter Fonseca, MP representing the riding of Mississauga East-Cooksville, who tabled his Private Members’ Bill M-75 (Polish Heritage Month) and all the MPs – 328 of them – voted YES.
The day before May 1, when Canada’s Polish Heritage month begins, I’m talking about this joyous moment with Irek Kusmierczyk, liberal MP of Polish descent, representing a very dynamic city of Windsor since 2019. Irek is now also Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages. But most of all, Irek is a great friend and supporter of our Polish community in Canada.
Katy Carr is a British songwriter and singe, “a British singer who sings about Polish history”, featured in Episode 4 in 2016 and mentioned in Episode 98. This is her song “Polonia”: