Wilno, Ontario

The town of Wilno, Ontario is geopolitically placed in the township of Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards in Renfrew County, Ontario. Geographically Wilno is nestled in the rolling, picturesque terrain of the Madawaska valley which was largley shaped during the demise of the Laurentide ice sheet at the end of the last North American Ice Age.

Wilno is the first and oldest Polish settlement in Canada geoculturally. 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, J.R. Booth's Ottawa, Arnprior & Parry Sound Railway ran through the town mainly servicing 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 imigration to Canada, freedom and eventually, after many hardships, journey to the Wilno area.

Wilno namesake was the city of Wilno, then in Poland, (now Vilnius, Lithuania), the birthplace of Reverend Ludwik Dembski, who was a prominent community spiritual leader and town founder.

A Famous Kashubian living in Wilno, Martin Shulist (a former Towne Reeve with over 20 years of public service ) [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 ] ) talks of the traditions behind [http://www.wilno.org/culture/crosses.html The Holy Crosses of Wilno] . He talks of the Crosses and their significance to the settlers of this area of Ontario. Just as today we see crosses at the locations of traffic accidents along many of our motor routes. These crosses are there to remind us; to go safely.

Annual Chicken Supper on the Labour Day Weekend

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Of Special note to anyone who enjoys a hearty meal is the
[http://www.wilno.org/culture/food.html Annual Chicken Supper held at St. Mary's Church in Wilno.]

This now famous supper is over 65 years old and becoming known world wide. Approximately 2500 people are served each Labour Day Weekend. The food is authentic Kaszebe / Polish fare that leaves one glad to experience historically accurate, delightfully satisfying, settler cuisine, with a strong remembrance of a long-ago home.

And of a local humorous saying about the town is the claim,

"What you don't know, you will know, when you get to Wilno.""

Urban Legends------------------------------------------------

In 1972, Wilno was spotlighted as the result of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarn_story yarn] crafted by a temporary employee of the Canadian Museum of Civilization. This imaginative story is based on folklore and fairy tales more than reality or local customs. However, it attracted sensationalism from the such of the "National Enquirer" and "Psychology Today". The alleged "legend" still pops up from time to time, but in truth a lack of understanding of European culture, and the history of the hard working people of this area, is the Chaff which sensationalizes these stories.

See also

* Polish-Canadians
* Vilnius

References

1. Source: Makowski, William. The Polish People in Canada: A Visual History. “V: Ontario: [http://www.polishheritage.ca/polishpeople_9.aspx A Century of Courage and Tenacity] .” Montreal: Tundra Books, 1987. 53-73 (set.)

External links

* [http://www.wilnovillager.on.ca/ The Wilno Villager] Official Tourist Site
* [http://www.wilno.com/ Wilno unofficial website]
* [http://www.wilnovillager.on.ca/ Wilno Heritage Trails]
* [http://www.wilno.org/ Wilno Heritage Society]
* [http://www.wilnotavern.com/ Wilno Tavern Restaurant]
* [http://www.wilnogardengallery.com/ Wilno Garden Gallery]
* [http://www.wilnofurniture.ca/ Wilno Furniture]
* [http://www.chcr.org/ CHCR Homegrown Community Radio]
* [http://www.polishheritage.ca/polishpeople_9.aspx A Century of Courage and Tenacity The Kashoubs of Renfrew]