Wilno, Ontario
Coordinates: 45°30′39″N 77°33′38″W / 45.510957942304°N 77.560572823907°W
The community of Wilno, Ontario is situated on the border of Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards and Madawaska Valley townships in Renfrew County, Ontario.
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[edit] Geography
Wilno is nestled in the rolling, picturesque terrain of the Madawaska valley which was largely shaped during the demise of the Laurentide ice sheet at the end of the last North American Ice Age.
[edit] History
Wilno is the first and oldest Polish settlement in Canada. The original settlers in this area circa 1858 were mainly of Kashubian origin from the then German-occupied area of Poland. One of the reasons they chose this area to settle was because of the landscape which reminded them of their original homes.
At one time, John Rudolphus Booth's Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway ran through the town mainly serving the lumber industry. The former train route has now been redeveloped into a recreational path. The former train station has likewise been converted into an early settler building and museum that presents the early history of the town. The museum contains the history of the first Kaszebe people as well as their immigration to Canada, freedom and eventually, after many hardships, journey to the Wilno area.
Wilno's namesake was the city of Wilno, then in a Russian-occupied area of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, (now Vilnius, capital of Lithuania), the birthplace of Reverend Ludwik Dembski, who was a prominent community spiritual leader and town founder, who would not have wanted the town named after himself. Therefore, the townsfolk, grateful for his contributions to their town, may have suggested the name of Wilno.
A Kashubian living in Wilno, Martin Shulist,[1] talks of the traditions behind The Holy Crosses of Wilno and their significance to the settlers of this area. At Wilno Canada's Kashubian community celebrates their heritage. There is a Museum & Skansen in Wilno.
[edit] Annual Chicken Supper on the Labour Day Weekend
This supper has been an annual event for over 65 years. Approximately 2500 people are served each Labour Day Weekend. The food is authentic Kaszebe–Polish fare that is historically accurate, original settler cuisine, with a strong remembrance of a long-ago home.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Makowski, William. The Polish People in Canada: A Visual History. “V: Ontario: A Century of Courage and Tenacity.” Montreal: Tundra Books, 1987. 53-73
1. Source: Makowski, William. The Polish People in Canada: A Visual History. “V: Ontario: A Century of Courage and Tenacity.” Montreal: Tundra Books, 1987. 53-73
