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 1864 from their homeland of Poland. Most of the Polish people who came to Wilno in the 1800’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 Ontario’s First Polish Settlement 1864. The community of Selkirk Manitoba has the designation as Canada’s First Polish Settlement according to a historical plaque by the Canadian Polish Congress of Manitoba dating back to 1817

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 border each other. It is a true love story between two Slavic homelands, people, and nations. These are the people who built and settled the Wilno Hills.

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).---