One hundred twenty years of organizational work by the Polish Alliance of Canada, born under the difficult conditions of immigration, comprise a remarkable chapter in the history of the Polish-Canadian community. This history has been written through the untiring efforts of successive generations of thousands of members of the organization, many of whom remain nameless today.

Generation after generation of Polish Canadians, united under the banner of the Polish Alliance of Canada, established a path for their successors that remained faithful to the core values enshrined in the Alliance’s constitution: brotherhood, tolerance, and education.

Their achievements have been recorded in numerous commemorative publications and documents from Alliance branches throughout Ontario, and preserved for future generations in the monuments that Polish Alliance Halls represent today.

“Each era has its own goals…” wrote the Polish poet Adam Asnyk in 1880. These words remain both meaningful and accurate in describing our organizational reality. Throughout more than 120 years of existence, the Polish Alliance of Canada has served the Polish community, Poland, and Canada during important moments of action, in tragic and difficult times, and in happier periods marked by patriotism and human solidarity.

We are aware of the changes brought by history: the world changes, societies change, and priorities change. It is becoming increasingly difficult to encourage people to work together, while personal ambitions that are not always beneficial to others seem to prevail more often. Let us therefore remember the finest moments in the history of this respected organization, which has experienced both remarkable successes and profound hardships.

Teresa Szramek
President of Polish Alliance of Canada (2007 – Present)