Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in Canada, Ottawa Branch
P.O. Box 8711, Station "T", Ottawa, Ontario K1G 3J1
ACTIVITIES OF THE OTTAWA BRANCH OF THE POLISH INSTITUTE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES IN CANADA
in the academic year 2003-2004
prepared by
Aleksander Maciej Jablonski, Marek Zaremba, Danuta Iglewski
In the last year, the Ottawa Branch of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in Canada (PINK) actively cooperated with the main Polish-Canadian organizations in Ottawa, such as the Polish Combatants' Association in Canada (SPK), Branch No. 8 in Ottawa, and the Canadian Polish Congress (KPK) - National Capital Branch. The Ottawa Branch of the Institute, a member organization of the Canadian Polish Congress (KPK), currently has 52 members. As in previous years, the Ottawa Branch of the Institute (PINK) organized lectures and sponsored various cultural activities in the form of film presentations and a soirée of poetry during the 60th Anniversary Banquet. Six joint Executive Committee and 60th Anniversary Organizing Committee meetings took place during the year. The President and the Delegate to KPK participated in most meetings of the Canadian Polish Congress, National Capital Branch.
The Executive Committee of the Ottawa Branch of PINK in 2003-2004:
- Aleksander Maciej Jablonski Ph.D., P.Eng. - President of the Executive Committee in Ottawa and Vice-President of the National Executive Committee in Montreal,
- Professor Marek Zaremba Ph.D., P.Eng. - Vice-President of the Executive Committee in Ottawa,
- Andrzej Garlicki, Ph.D. P. Eng. - Senior Advisor, member of the National Executive Committee in Montreal,
- Professor Pawel Wyczynski, Ph.D. - Senior Advisor, Publications,
- Danuta Iglewski - Secretary
- Joanna Welfeld, Ph.D. - Treasurer, liaison with Saint Paul University
- Professor Jerzy Sasiadek, D.Sc., Ph.D., P.Eng. - Representative to the Canadian Polish Congress, National Capital Branch,
- Eva Karpinski, M.Sc., P.Eng. - poetry and music soirées
- Professor Richard Sokoloski, Ph. D. - liaison with the University of Ottawa
The Ottawa Branch organized, with a great dedication, the celebration of the 60th Anniversary of PINK in Ottawa in Autumn 2003. The composition of the Organizing Committee was as follows:
Co-Chairmen:
Dr. Aleksander Maciej Jablonski
Prof. Pawel Wyczynski
Secretary:
Danuta Iglewski
Treasurer:
Dr. Joanna Welfeld
Members:
Dr. Regina Czapiewska
Dr. Jacek Czapiewski
Ewa Karpinski
Dr. Jolanta Lesniak
Prof. Jerzy Z. Sasiadek
Prof. Richard Sokoloski
Prof. Marek Zaremba
As agreed with the National Executive Committee, all invited honorary speakers from Poland visited Ottawa. The anniversary celebration made it possible to present in Ottawa the luminaries of science and culture from Poland (the list of the lectures and meetings is given below).
During the anniversary celebration, three lectures were organized at Saint-Paul University (Prof. Stefan Sawicki from Catholic University of Lublin, Prof. Marian Zgorniak from Jagiellonian University, and Prof. Krzysztof Zanussi from Warsaw), a presentation of God's Brother - a film, directed by Krzysztof Zanussi, about St. Albert Chmielowski - at the University of Ottawa, a formal 60th Anniversary banquet in the Museum of Nature with a soirée of music and poetry dedicated to a romantic poet Cyprian Kamil Norwid and entitled The Beauty of Love. All lectures and meetings enjoyed a large audience from both within and outside of the Polish community in Ottawa. The most frequented was the lecture and the viewing of the film by Krzysztof Zanussi (over 300 people in each of them).
October 9, 2003 - Prof. Stefan Sawicki, KUL, Member PAU - Norwid w naszej wspolczesnosci - Saint Paul University (attendance ca. 80)
October 10, 2003 - Banquet at the 60th Anniversary of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in Canada together with a soirée of music and poetry of Cyprian Kamil Norwid - The Beauty of Love (directed by Eva Karpinski. The poems of C.K. Norwida were presented by Magdalena Goledzinowska and Maciej Mark Karpinski, the music of F. Chopin played by Russ Munitt). In attendance: several invited guests from the Canadian government, rectors of the universities located in Ottawa, Ambasador of Poland, Dr. Pawel Dobrowolski with spouse, and Prof. Jozef Litynski, President of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in Canada; location: National Museum of Nature, Ottawa (attendance ca. 150) - the banquet and soirée were conducted in English, French and Polish.
October 16, 2003 - Prof. Marian Zgorniak, UJ, Member of PAU - The Second Department of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces until 1939 - Polish Intelligence Information on the Enemy's Intention before the War and the Status of the Knowledge of Abwhera on the Polish - Saint Paul University (attendance ca. 60)
October 26, 2003 - Viewing of film Our God's Brother (based on the play Brat naszego Boga by Karol Wojtyla) in the presence of the film director, Krzysztof Zanussi. The viewing was prepared jointly with the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, University of Ottawa. Introductory word by Prof. Richard Sokolski, University of Ottawa (attendance ca. 300; the event was conducted in English).
October 27, 2003 - Prof. Krzysztof Zanussi, Warsaw - Political Transformation and Mental Transformation in Postcommunist Poland - the lecture was presented in English and illustrated with excerpts from his recent films. Introduction by Dr. Dale Schlitt, OMI, Rector, Saint Paul University (attendance over 300).
Each of the events merits a broader discussion. All lectures and other events were highly popular among the Ottawa audience (both from and outside of the Polish-Canadian community). During the Banquet the following persons took floor: Prof. J. Litynski, President, PINK; Dr. Jerzy M. Zarzycki, President, KPK-Ottawa; Mrs. Zofia Ruenbenbauer née Slepowron-Kuczynski; Dr. David Mitchell, Vice-Rector of the University of Ottawa; Mr. Bob Chiarelli, Mayor of Ottawa; Dr. Pawel Dobrowolski, Ambassador of Poland; Prof. Stefan Sawicki, KUL; and, on behalf of the Organizing Committee, Dr. Aleksander Maciej Jablonski. Departments of the federal government were represented by Dr. Thomas Brzustowski, Assistant Deputy Minister of Industry, President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. Grace was said by Fr. Jan Nowak, Rector of the Oblate Seminary in Ottawa, and toast to the Queen and to the Polish Republic was proposed by Dr. Andrzej M. Garlicki, President, SPK in Canada. Altogether, the lectures and the banquet were attended by over 1000 people. Both Polish TV programs from Toronto and Ottawa ran coverage from the Banquet and the Soirée. President of the Ottawa Branch gave an interview for Rogers Cable 22 TV channel at the beginning of December 2003.
The Norwid Soirée was masterfully directed by Eva Karpinski and performed in three languages: English, French and Polish. The celebrated Norwid poetry and Chopin music made the atmosphere in the ballroom of the Museum of Nature in Ottawa unique during the entire evening. A thorough program of the Banquet and the Soirée bearing the coat of arms of the Institute was prepared.
During the Banquet launching of the Ruebenbauer Foundation established by Mr. Jerzy and Zofia Ruebenbauer from Ottawa was announced. This private foundation aims at supporting the studies on Polish heritage in Canada.
The celebrations of the 60th Anniversary of PINK in Ottawa were very successful, due to an enormous effort on the part of the Organizing Committee. The income covered the expenditures.
The Organizing Committee hold an unofficial dinner honouring Krzysztof Zanussi, and several meetings with the invited guests.
There were 6 lectures (including two in English), one launching of a book (in English), 2 video presentations (one in English and one in Polish), and 1 soirée of poetry and music (in English, French and Polish) organized in 2003 - 2004. The lectures were held at Saint Paul University, viewing of the Zanussi's film at the University of Ottawa, and the video presentations in Polish Hall (Dom Polski SPK).
President of the Ottawa Branch participated in the 60th Anniversary Banquet in Faculty Club, McGill University on October 25, 2003 (attendance ca. 60), in several official and unofficial meetings in Ottawa, in meetings in the Embassy of Poland, and in Barry's Bay in the funeral of the famous Polish test pilot in Great Britain and Canada - Col. Janusz Zurakowski. Last year Bulletin missed the information on the launching of an autobiographical book of Col. Janusz Zurakowski, which took place in Ottawa in June 2002.
President of the Ottawa Branch organized together with the SPK Branch Nr. 8 in Ottawa laying of commemorative wreaths on the graves of Polish generals at the Notre-Dame Cemetery in Ottawa-Vanier on the Independence Day on November 11, 2003, in the presence of the Consul-General Mrs. Grazyna Sosnowska-Sikorska, Brig. Gen. Wladyslaw Saczonek, Polish Military Attaché in Ottawa, Dr. Jerzy Zarzycki, President KPK-Ottawa, and Dr. Andrzej Garlicki, President SPK in Canada with spouses. Wreaths were laid for the fourth time on the tombs of Generals Jozef Zajac, Wilhelm Orlik-Ruckemann, Stefan Sznuk and Lieutenant Jozef Krzywda-Polkowski, who saved the Wawel Treasures during the II World War. President of the Branch presented short addresses at each of the tomb. Members of the families of the generals attended the commemorative event.
The detailed list of events for the academic year 2003-2004 (beside the anniversary lectures in October):
2002-2003
25 VI 2002 r. - Meeting entitled Not only about Flying with Col. Janusz Zurakowski a pilot and legend of Polish and Canadian aviation. Promotion of his autobiographical book, together with the Publisher, Polish Publishing Foundation in Canada, Polish Combatants' Association in Canada, Branch No. 8 in Ottawa, Ottawa Branch of the Association of Polish Engineers in Canada, sponsored by the Ottawa Branch of Canadian Polish Congress. Introductory word by Edward Zyman, excerpts from the autobiography read by Magdalena Goledzinowska (attendance over 150)
2003-2004
17 VI 2003 r. - Prof. Piotr Jaroszynski, KUL - Socialism: Mother of Totalitarisms - Saint Paul University (attendance ca. 60)
20. XI 2003 r. - Presentation of a video Akcja pod Arsenalem in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the action, organized jointly with the Polish Combatants' Association in Canada (SPK), Branch No. 8 in Ottawa. Introductory word by Dr. A. M. Jablonski (ca. 60 viewers)
3 II 2004 r. - Dr. Jerzy Metelski, Ottawa - Bridging Intergenerational Gap - Saint Paul University (attendance ca. 50) - lecture in English.
24 II 2004 r. - Professor Maria Los, University of Ottawa - European problems with democracy and sovereignty - Saint Paul University (attendance ca. 80)
3 III 2004 r. - Celebration of the book Question of Honor by Lynne Olson and Stanley Cloud, the book promotion together with Canadian Foundation for Polish Studies (at McGill University, Ms. Irene Tomaszewski), in collaboration of Canadian Polish Congress, Ottawa Region, and the Polish Embassy (with the participation of Dr. P. Dobrowolski, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Canada, other prominent Canadian and Polish participants (attendance ca. 300). After the event, a cocktail was organized and sponsored jointly by our Branch and the Embassy of Poland.
The Ottawa Branch of PINK continues its co-operation with other Polish-Canadian organizations and local universities, as well as the Embassy of the Republic of Poland. Prof. Jerzy Sasiadek and Dr. A. Maciej Jablonski participated in most meetings of the Canadian Polish Congress, National Capital Branch. Dr. A. Maciej Jablonski also participated, to a limited extent, in the meetings of the National Executive Committee in Montreal. The Ottawa Branch of the Institute well prepared the celebrations to mark the 60th Anniversary of PINK that took place in Ottawa in Fall 2003. The address of the Ottawa Branch web site - maintained by Ms. Lidia Zielinski, P.Eng., from the Association of Polish Engineers in Canada, Ottawa Branch - is: http://www.kpk-ottawa.org/pink/.
Aleksander Maciej Jablonski
Marek Zaremba
Danuta Iglewski
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