Atlantic Canada District of the Canadian Polish Congress

On November 1st, Poles around the world observe All Saints’ Day a day to commemorate the lives of Saints and family members and friends who have passed away. ... Traditionally, Poles gather at the cemetery starting at dusk to pray for the deceased, including loved ones and strangers. Dzie Wszystkich witych, as it’s called in Polish, is a national holiday in Poland and Polish traditions include visiting cemeteries at dusk to light glass candles (szklane znicze, pictured below), which continue to burn for many days afterwards and serve as a long-lasting reminder to pray for deceased family and friends. Poles will also clean and decorate graves with leaves and flowers, especially chrysanthemums. The day after, called All Souls’ Day or Zaduszki in Polish, is a day of prayer for all who have departed and traditionally marked by attending Mass and continuing All Saints’ Day traditions.

A cool video from the Polish sister city of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality! #WitamyNS

More pictures from this past Wednesday's outdoor ceremony to unveil a beautiful illustrated plaque honouring the Polish pioneers of Glace Bay. Thanks to the don...ors, volunteers, students of Glace Bay Elementary, and dignitaries. (The plaque's location is Dawe Ave. recreation field.) Wednesday was the final day of a very busy NS Polish Heritage Month, which will be every September from now on! (Photos by Jerry Pocius and Alison Etter.) #WitamyNS See more

Free virtual tour on Polish immigration to Canada. This evening (Wednesday) at 7 p.m. Hosted by Pier 21 (Canadian Museum of Immigration). To register, please send an email to: [email protected] . This will be the final event for 2020 Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month. It's been a great month! #WitamyNS

Fabulous event this morning to unveil a permanent plaque to honour the Polish pioneers of Glace Bay. The rain held off! Great participation from Glace Bay Elementary students as well as community elders. Thanks to the generous donors, volunteers, and dignitaries, More pictures to follow later this week. The beautiful plaque with photos and inscriptions in Polish and English is beside Dawe Ave, at the edge of the recreation field (across from Holy Cross Church). #WitamyNS

"NS Polish Heritage Month a success despite pandemic challenges": Check out this news video and article by CTV's Ryan MacDonald: https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/n-s-polish-heritage-month-a-suc #WitamyNS

#WitamyNS . Thank you to Dr. Ed Michalik for this message! See you on Wednesday at 11 a.m. for the short, special outdoor ceremony (with distancing) as we honour the Polish pioneers of Glace Bay!

This morning, Radio-Canada's Nathalie Geddry did this interview in French with Tom Urbaniak about Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month. The month has been generating amazing energy and positive outreach for Nova Scotia's Polonia! So grateful for the volunteer team effort of all the groups and communities! #WitamyNS

Two very special events -- next Tuesday and Wednesday -- in Sydney and Glace Bay. The final stretch of NS Polish Heritage Month, #WitamyNS. Please see this article for details: https://www.capebretonpost.com//polish-heritage-month-con/

#WitamyNS. Thank you to the CBU Beaton Institute for this beautiful post as part of Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month -- and the Beaton's wonderful and longstanding collaboration with Cape Breton's Polish community to preserve memories and knowledge.

#WitamyNS Maura Lea Morykot interviews Cape Breton's Kris Tynski, featured artist for Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month, about his stunning nature photography.

Free on-line lecture on Polish wartime child refugees and what we can learn from them today: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, at 10:15 a.m. (Atlantic time). Amanda Chalupa, PhD candidate, will discuss her compelling research on Polish children who were deported to Siberia during World War II and then sought safety around the world after harrowing journeys. What do their stories tell us about the human spirit and about how we can accompany, in friendship and compassion, newcomers and migrants of all backgrounds today? This lecture is part of Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month. All are welcome. For instructions on how to link in, please contact Tom Urbaniak at [email protected] or 902-563-1226. #WitamyNS

Wishing a blessed Rosh Hashanah -- a very happy new year -- to our Jewish neighbours! Shanah tovah!

TWIN CITY LECTURE: Did you know that Walbrzych, Poland, is the twin city of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality (since 2019)? Join us for a special on-line session with guests from Walbrzych, who will discuss their city and cool ways to work together. Walbrzych is a former coal-mining city that has leaned into the green economy. Monday, September 21, 4:10 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. You can join by computer or telephone. For a link, please e-mail [email protected] or call 902-563-1226. Part of Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month. #WitamyNS

#WitamyNS . Please turn on the captions for easier listening. This is Leonard Pluta, featured author for Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month. Interviewed at his home in Antigonish and part of a series of segments. Leonard's books cover economics and also harrowing stories of Polish migration and refugees.

CTV News clip on Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month -- event at Polish Village Hall in Whitney Pier. Starts at about the 11 minute and 35 second mark -- 6 p.m. newscast from Saturday, Sept 12. This past weekend was very full -- and lots more still to come! #WitamyNS

National coverage in Polish! This past Saturday, the Polish Studio program -- CityTV across Canada -- profiled Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month! Great feedback since it aired! Here's the 12-minute video in Polish. Remarks from the Lieutenant Governor and then descriptions and highlights of the month in Polish from Tom Urbaniak. #WitamyNS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3saVcBpkrOc

Especially for Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month and the Cape Breton Regional Library, Anna Paluch has prepared this wonderful how-to video on wycinanki. #WitamyNS https://youtu.be/_ktKashbkQQ

Yesterday's CBC Radio "People's School on Community Development" featured Nova Scotia Polish Heritage Month and what we can learn from the experiences of Polish wartime refugees as we work to build welcoming and supportive communities for all. #WitamyNS https://www.cbc.ca//15796903-peoples-school-community-deve