The Foundation is a broadly-based, cultural organization whose role is to complement existing organizations and institutions that share a concern for Polish language, history or culture. The Foundation assists these organizations to meet their shared objectives with the provision of funding when appropriate, necessary and feasible.
The broad Polish Community, that the Foundation wishes to serve, comprises all residents of Canada having some Polish background - regardless of when they or their family first arrived in Canada, their political or religious beliefs, or even their fluency in the Polish language - but who share an interest in, or cherish an attachment to the language, history or culture of their forefathers.
The Foundation believes that there is a certain creative synergy generated in being both Polish and Canadian, and that all Canadians could benefit from and enjoy the Polish presence in Canada.
The Foundation has a special role in assuring that Polish language instruction, as well as the teaching of Polish history and culture, are funded and made available, especially for children regardless of their ethnic/linguistic background.
The Foundation is to open lines of communication with those Canadian organizations and institutions whose purpose or function could assist the Polish Community in the maintenance and promotion of its language and culture. For the same reason, the Foundation is to maintain contact with other Polish centres both in Canada and abroad.
Men and women of all backgrounds are welcome to belong to the Foundation, which is to function through the involvement of volunteers committed to having it operate in a professional, business-like and transparent fashion, having clear, precise and reasonable goals, that are achieved in a planned and methodical fashion.
May 17, 1994
The Foundation was established as a tool for maintaining and promoting knowledge about the Polish language, history and culture among Canadian citizens who are aware of their Polish heritage. The Foundation wants to participate in creating a consciousness and cultivating a rich Polish community that feels confident and ready to make a creative contribution to the development of the Canadian community.
The Foundation aims to help Canadians of Polish origin in their positive participation in life within the Canadian community by promoting and enriching knowledge about the language, culture and history of Poland, both among members of the Polish group and the broad Canadian population.
By promoting the best Polish traditions and experiences, the Foundation aims to contribute to the development of a bilingual, multicultural Canadian community. The Foundation's activities include:
Born: in 1928 in the city of Łódź, Poland
Died: August 26, 2022, Ottawa, ON, Canada
His father, Franciszek Kielar, an officer of the Polish Army, with the rank of major, was imprisoned throughout the war in a POW camp Oflag IIB Woldenberg. His mother, Władysława, raised him and his younger sister, Barbara, on her own. From December 1940, Stanisław belonged to the Association of Armed Struggle and then to the Union of Polish Youth - Gray Ranks. In autumn 1942, Gestapo found ammunition storehoused in the Kifer house in Ursus. Tadeusz Kifer was executed in Oswięcim. Some of the ammunition was rescued. With his mother’s approval, Stanisław became the keeper of the ammunition in his parents’ house. The stored ammunition existed until 1945, when the command of the AK Section registered all members into the Union of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy.
Outline of activity in Poland after 1945:
After graduating from the Warsaw University of Technology in 1956, Stanisław worked at Polish Radio for seven years with the Department of Technical Training in Warsaw. He then took a position at the Experimental Department of the Bureau of Nuclear Techniques and the experimental station at the department under Prof. Groszkowski until 1971. He then immigrated to Canada. After a short stay in Toronto, he moved to Ottawa. In Ottawa, he worked at Northern Telecom, Mitel, and International Epitek Inc., where he was the Director of the Engineering Department.
Military service:
December 1940 - Underground Military Organizations,
September 3, 1944 - Home Army “6th Kordian Group”,
Military Study at the Warsaw University of Technology 1952,
Placed in the reserves in 1953.
Membership in social organizations:
In Poland, after 1945, he did not belong to any political parties. He belonged to the following organizations:
Union of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy,
Trade Union of Post and Telecommunications Employees in Poland,
Association of Polish Inventors,
Association of Singers – Men’s Choir “Harfa”.
Involvement in the cultural life of the Ottawa Polish Community:
In the years 1989–99, he was the President of the Ignacy Paderewski Choir,
Since 1993, he was a board member of the Polish Combatants’ Association, Branch # 8, in Ottawa,
In the year 2000, he became President of the Ottawa Jadwiga Domańska Theater Club.
Since 2007, he was a Director of the Polish Heritage Foundation in Canada.
In February 2022, Stanisław Kielar was declared an “Honorary Patron” of the Polish Heritage Foundation in Canada.
Awards:
Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland - 25 July 2005,
Home Army Cross, decision dated 25 March 1999,
Medal for Warsaw 1939-1945,
Combatants’ Bronze Cross PCA - twice,
Silver Combatants’ Cross PCA,
Golden Combatants’ Cross PCA - twice,
Medal of Victory and Freedom - August 17, 1959,
Gold Medal of the Polish Army - June 26, 2013,
Gold Badge of the Canadian Polish Congress - May 26, 2001,
Volunteer Badge - 25 years of social work in Canada,
Diploma on the Occasion of the 70th anniversary of the PCA in Ottawa - August 12, 2017.
Diploma “Man of the Year Ottawa 2000” - in recognition of work in the Polish Community of Ottawa.
Volunteer-of-the-Year 2002, Ottawa Rowing Club.
Dr. Cezary (Paul) Słaby is an experienced technology manager and a specialist in CEO matters. He founded and managed several successful hightech companies, including ATMOS Corp, MicroSemiX, VoIPshield Systems, and Kaben Wireless Silicon. Dr. Słaby skillfully managed the established companies, developing them through VC funds and excellent recognition of market development. Thanks to this, his companies have a strong and established position. Dr. Słaby is known for his ability to create strategies for companies, employing the right staff, creating pioneering business models, increasing company revenues, managing finances, and skilful control of the situation in new market realities. Before starting his career, he held various engineering and managerial positions at Bell Northern Research, Nortel Networks and Carleton University. He sat on the Board of Directors of several companies and acted as a resident employee at the National Research Council and as an advisor at Carleton University Foundry. He has many years of academic and pedagogical experience. He is the author of numerous scientific publications and conference presentations. His popular blog "The Art of Growing High-Tech Ventures" has already won many awards and prizes. In the Polish community of Ottawa, he was the founder of the Polish Heritage Foundation in 1994 and first President for a period of five years.
Dr. Andrzej Gołębiowski is a physicist and IT specialist. He moved to Canada in 1982 and lived in different cities until finally making his home in Ottawa in the 1990s. He joined the Parental Advisory Council of the Wiktor Podoski Polish School in Ottawa and in 1993 became an active member of the committee that oversaw the creation of the Polish Heritage Foundation of Canada. From 1998 to 2010, he became President of the PHF and to his credit initiated numerous fundraising initiatives, eg. Affinity MasterCard, numerous film showcases, etc. After the passing of Dr. Jerzy Jarmasz, in 2002, the Polish Heritage Foundation, on a motion presented by Andrzej, established the Dr. Jerzy Jarmasz Memorial Scholarship. Andrzej currently lives in Calgary.
Beata Wojsyk - President
Wiesław Kuran - Treasurer
José Semrau - Secretary
Arkadiusz Daniel
Monica Kadrys
Rafał Kulik
Misheel Naumenko
Janusz Pietryga
Marcel Podsadowska
Andrzej Skrzypek
Urszula Sulińska - BC
Ewa Zadarnowska
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