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Welcome to Wilno


Witómë w Wilno  -  Welcome to Wilno  
Witamy w Wilno

Welcome to the hamlet of Wilno, Ontario. There is a saying in Wilno “What you don’t know, you will know, when you visit Wilno”. Folks visiting Wilno are always intrigued when they enter the village from the east and they see the magnificent church on top of the Wilno Hills. Upon entering the village from the west they notice an interesting village with a lot of history. Historically, Wilno was built by two Slavic groups from Europe. The Kashubs arrived in Canada in 1858 from their homeland of Kashubia (“Kaszëbë” in their native Kashubian language) which at the time of immigration was under Prussian/German rule. The Polish arrived in Canada in the early 1860’s from their homeland of Poland. Most of the Polish people who came to Wilno in the 1860’s came from the Galician area of Poland which was under Austrian rule. Today, Wilno is recognized throughout the world as Canada’s First Kashubian Settlement 1858, and Canada’s First Polish Settlement 1864.

Together the Kashubs and the Polish built a beautiful community. In 1875, they built a chapel and church called St. Stanislaw Kostka Church. In 1936, the church burnt down and the current new church was built called St. Mary’s Catholic Church. In their new church two religious icons find a home: a replica statue of Our Lady of Sianowo, Queen of Kashubia/Kaszëbë, and a picture of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Queen of Poland.

There is a special bond between the Kashubs and the Polish, where their homelands are intertwined. It is written in their Church bulletin that “There is no Kashubia without Poland and there is no Poland without Kashubia. It is a true love story between two homelands and two Slavic people. These are the people who built and settled the Wilno Hills in the late 1850’s and 1860’s

This website is designed to tell their unique stories. It provides you with stories written by local descendants of these unique Slavic people and their heritage. Discover some of the landmarks and events such as the famous Wilno Chicken Supper and the Kashub Day Festival. Please feel free to browse our page to find out  more about this beautiful cultural town and its people.

What you don’t know, you will know when you visit this beautiful historical town. Welcome to Wilno , Witómë w Wilno (Kashubian) Witamy w Wilno ( Polish).

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