The Citizenship Committee was formed in 1917 to fundraise for the Polish Army in France and to recruit new volunteers into it. The Committee called together rallies and meetings and organized propagandist manifestations for the Polish Army.

Anyone who was willing to join the army was directed to the Recruitment Centre, where he was in turn directed to the T. Kosciusko Polish Army camp in Niagara-on-the-Lake, after registering and going through the necessary medical examinations. Regardless of the numerous difficulties resulting from the small number of Poles in Canada at the time, as well as differences of opinion among them, the Committee was able to recruit over 200 volunteers into the Polish Army in France and to collect over $2000.00 for this cause.

General Haller’s “Blue Army” played an important part during battles on the French front in Germany, as well as during the Polish-Soviet War in 1920. Many of Haller’s followers later returned to Canada permanently, mainly settling in the Niagara-on-the-Lake region.  In 1920, thanks to the initiative of the Citizenship Committee, a Polish National Loan Committee was established to sell bonds for the young, independent Polish nation. In barely half a year’s work, $5000.00 worth of bonds were sold.

This was a very large amount. As a comparison, the hourly worker’s rate was 25 cents at the time.