SPK Branch 20 Toronto

10/08/2026

Following Monday's sneak peek, we're delighted to share the full 11-minute archival film Nasz Dorobek (1966).

Shot on 8mm colour film stock, this remarkable footage offers a glimpse into the life and activities of SPK Branch No. 20 in Toronto 60 years ago. It's a wonderful reminder of the dedication, camaraderie, and civic spirit the Polish veterans who built our organization and helped shape Polish-Canadian life.

Watch the full film on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/pFBb0c2_cc0?si=yGfce855lFMeQJh_

Cześć Ich pamięci!

An original 8mm colour film documenting everyday life and activitie...

10/05/2026

1 września 1939 r. Niemcy napadły na Polskę, rozpoczynając II wojnę światową. W 87. rocznicę pamiętamy o obrońcach Ojczyzny, ofiarach wojny i wszystkich, którzy walczyli o wolną Polskę. Pamiętamy.

On September 1, 1939, Germany invaded Poland, beginning the Second World War. On the 87th anniversary, we remember Poland’s defenders, the victims of the war, and all those who fought for a free Poland. We remember.

10/05/2026

This past weekend, SPK in Canada celebrated its 80th anniversary in Edmonton. So much is owed to the veterans who built our organization and enriched Polish-Canadian life in countless ways.

SPK Branch 20 is proud to share this excerpt from recently digitized films in our archive.

Cześć Ich pamięci!

09/30/2026

Wczoraj mieliśmy ogromny zaszczyt gościć w SPK Szefa Urzędu do Spraw Kombatantów i Osób Represjonowanych, Pana L**ha Parella, wraz z delegacją. Pan Minister odwiedził nasze muzeum i spotkał się z weteranami oraz przedstawicielami Polonii.

Wśród nas była Pani Stanisława Gryz, ps. „Śnieżka”, sanitariuszka i łączniczka Batalionów Chłopskich w czasie II wojny światowej. W listopadzie skończy 108 lat.

Minister Parell odznaczył Koło nr 20 SPK medalem „Pro Bono Poloniae”, przyznawanym za upowszechnianie wiedzy o historii walk niepodległościowych, krzewienie postaw patriotycznych oraz kultywowanie tradycji niepodległościowych poza granicami Kraju. Odznaczeni zostali również prezes Ed Lidzbarski oraz Stan Skrzeszewski z Koła nr 2 w Londynie.

Dziękujemy Panu Ministrowi za ten wielki zaszczyt. Jesteśmy wdzięczni za możliwość pielęgnowania pamięci o naszych weteranach i dbania o to, by ich poświęcenie nigdy nie zostało zapomniane.

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Yesterday, we were honoured to welcome Mr. L**h Parell, Head of Poland’s Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression, and his delegation to the Polish Combatants’ Hall (SPK). The Minister toured our museum and met with veterans and members of the Polish-Canadian community.

Among our distinguished guests was Mrs. Stanisława Gryz, code name "Śnieżka", who served as a medic and liaison in the Peasant Battalions (Bataliony Chłopskie) during World War II. This November, she will celebrate her 108th birthday.

Minister Parell awarded SPK Branch No. 20 the "Pro Bono Poloniae" Medal, given to individuals and organizations for spreading knowledge of Poland's struggles for independence, nurturing patriotic values, and preserving Polish heritage abroad. President Ed Lidzbarski and Stan Skrzeszewski of SPK Branch No. 2 in London were also decorated.

Thank you, Minister Parell, for this great honour. We are grateful for the opportunity to uphold the memory of our veterans and ensure their sacrifices are never forgotten.

09/26/2026

What a treat to attend this afternoon’s 100th anniversary celebration of Bolesław Orlinski’s incredible Warsaw-Tokyo-Warsaw flight at Wawel Villa in Mississauga. Together with mechanic Leonard Kubiak, Orlinski piloted an open-cockpit Bréguet XIX biplane covering over 21,000 kilometres with more than 121 hours spent in the air! Upon his arrival in Tokyo, Orlinski met the Emperor of Japan and was decorated with the Order of the Rising Sun. Thanks to our friends at the Orlinski Museum l Muzeum Orlińskiego for hosting such an enjoyable event 🇵🇱🇯🇵

09/11/2026

Earlier this week, the Brothers in Arms exhibit was unveiled in the Canada Pavilion at MSPO 2026 in Kielce, Poland, where Canada served as this year’s Lead Nation.

Created through a collaboration between SPK Branch 20 Toronto, the Canadian Polish Congress, and the Embassy of Canada to Poland in Warsaw, Brothers in Arms tells the story of more than a century of Canada and Poland working together as military allies, industry partners, and like-minded friends.

We are now thrilled to introduce a companion virtual exhibition, available in English and Polish:

English: https://www.spk20.ca/exhibition/
Polski:https://www.spk20.ca/pl/wystawa/

The online exhibition brings together the same beautiful imagery and historical narrative presented at MSPO, reimagined for an engaging experience on desktop and mobile devices.

We invite you to explore Brothers in Arms and let us know what you think in the comments below!

09/09/2026

Współtworzenie tej wystawy było dla nas wielkim zaszczytem. Jesteśmy dumni, że możemy dzielić się historią polsko-kanadyjskiej współpracy wojskowej oraz pamięcią o naszych weteranach z uczestnikami MSPO. 🇨🇦🇵🇱

It was a great honour to collaborate on this exhibit. We're proud that the history of Polish-Canadian military cooperation and the memory of our veterans is being shared with MSPO attendees.

09/07/2026

As Branch 20 digitizes our photo collection, scanning is only part of the process. Unfortunately, many mid-twentieth-century photo prints have deteriorated over the decades, showing significant fading and unnatural colour shifts.

The first step is always to capture an accurate, high-resolution scan of the original photo as it is. Then, a separate working copy is taken into photo editing software, where colour correction is applied, dust and defects are carefully removed, and the image is tuned to look its best on computer screens and social media.

The detail hiding behind these faded prints is often surprising. This sample photo from the mid-1960s, showing Branch 20’s colour party, is a prime example of how modern technology can breathe new life into vintage images and help us share the history of our Polish-Canadian veterans with younger generations.

Comment if you’d like to see more before-and-after comparisons!

📷 Branch 20 colour party, mid-1960s. From left: T. Maslowski, S. Lewicki Jr., S. Falkowski and D. Lozinko.

09/04/2026

It was with great gratitude that we welcomed two new items into the SPK Branch 20 collection on August 23, 2026, at our banquet in honour of Polish Armed Forces Day. These pieces were generously donated by Mrs. Aniela Ganczak on behalf of the Copernicus Lodge Auxiliary.

🖼 The first work is a painting by WWII veteran and renowned Polish-Canadian artist Eugeniusz Chruścicki (1914-1984) depicting a 17th-century Polish Winged Hussar and a light cavalryman. We are fortunate enough to have several of Chruścicki's works already in our possession, including the seven painted tapestries that adorn our main floor Dining Room.

✈ The second piece is a limited edition print of Piotr Górka's "Master Class," which shows the dramatic scene of Polish pilot Jan Falkowski being attacked by three German Bf 109s and using the unarmed PWS-26 biplane’s aerobatic ability to evade them, with one German aircraft reported to have crashed. It is signed by the artist and by Falkowski himself, and incorporates a piece of original PWS-26 aircraft fabric.

Both now hang proudly in our Conference Room, the Chruścicki piece alongside another of the artist's paintings showing - quite fittingly! - Nicolaus Copernicus.

Bardzo dziękujemy za piękne darowizny do naszej kolekcji!

09/02/2026

60 years ago today, on September 2, 1966, General Tadeusz "Bór" Komorowski was laid to rest in London, England. Komorowski was a true giant of 20th-century Polish history, serving as Commander-in-Chief of the Home Army during the war and later as Prime Minister of the Polish Government-in-Exile.

Like his comrade General Emil Przedrzymirski, who settled in Canada after the war, Komorowski fought for Poland's freedom in three separate conflicts: the First World War, the Polish-Bolshevik War, and the 1939 defence of Poland against German and Russian aggression. He was in command during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 and, after fighting valiantly for 63 days against the N**i war machine, was taken prisoner by the Germans.

He emigrated to Britain after the war and remained a devoted leader within the Polonia community. He died at age 71 on August 24, 1966, and was interred at Gunnersbury Cemetery in West London. His remains were repatriated to Poland in 1994 and laid to rest with honours in Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw.

Cześć i Chwała Bohaterom!

📸 SPK Archival Photos (Toronto, circa mid-1950s)

1. General Bór-Komorowski visits with SPK leadership in Canada. Note the Polish Home Army symbol - the 'kotwica' - on the cake.
2. Same event, General Bór-Komorowski speaks with Canadian Polonia leaders.
3. General Komorowski, seated first on the left, likely with SPK Canada leadership. Seated in the other armchair on the right is General Emil Przedrzymirski, another esteemed veteran who commanded Armia Modlin during the 1939 September Campaign in defence of Poland.