spk20.ca Polski

Brothers in Arms

Canada–Poland Military Cooperation Exhibition

9 chapters · 37 photographs and documents · 1917–2026

Chapter 1 of 9

1917

WHERE IT BEGAN

CAMP KOŚCIUSZKO, NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, 1917–19

Polish volunteers on parade at Niagara Camp. Between 1917 and 1919, 22,395 men passed through here under Canadian command, and 20,720 sailed for France.
Polish volunteers on parade at Niagara Camp. Between 1917 and 1919, 22,395 men passed through here under Canadian command, and 20,720 sailed for France.

In 1917, Canada agreed to host and command a training camp at Niagara-on-the-Lake for volunteers joining Haller's Blue Army — the Polish force forming in France to fight for an independent Poland. Ignacy Jan Paderewski secured backing from Canada, France, and the United States to create the camp, while the Polish Falcons and other diaspora organizations recruited volunteers across North America.

Polish officers at the School of Infantry in Toronto. It began in January 1917 with twenty-three men; 295 were commissioned before the camp closed.
Polish officers at the School of Infantry in Toronto. It began in January 1917 with twenty-three men; 295 were commissioned before the camp closed.

Command fell to Canadian LCol. Arthur D'Orr LePan, whose staff ran the camp alongside Polish officers trained at the School of Infantry in Toronto.

The Polish plot at St. Vincent de Paul, Niagara-on-the-Lake. Forty-one men died in camp, most in the influenza epidemic of 1918, and never sailed to France. The cross reads “Died for Poland.”
The Polish plot at St. Vincent de Paul, Niagara-on-the-Lake. Forty-one men died in camp, most in the influenza epidemic of 1918, and never sailed to France. The cross reads “Died for Poland.”

Together they received 22,395 recruits and sent 20,720 on draft to France. Although most came from the United States, Canada provided the territory, command, and training.

A painting showing Polish soldiers in a YMCA tent at the camp in Niagara-on-the-Lake. There, the soldiers were able to write letters to their families.
A painting showing Polish soldiers in a YMCA tent at the camp in Niagara-on-the-Lake. There, the soldiers were able to write letters to their families.

These soldiers fought for Poland's independence and helped shape the borders of the newborn Second Republic. Many joined the 18th Infantry Division — the “Iron Division” — which took part in defending Warsaw in 1920. It was the first chapter of a century-long partnership, written from the very beginning by both nations together.

Ignacy Jan Paderewski and Helena Paderewska reviewing Polish volunteers in Canada. The camp was established thanks to Paderewski's tireless efforts.
Ignacy Jan Paderewski and Helena Paderewska reviewing Polish volunteers in Canada. The camp was established thanks to Paderewski's tireless efforts.

Chapter 2 of 9

1942

BROTHERS AT SEA

DIEPPE, 1942

On 19 August 1942, the Polish destroyer ORP Ślązak took part in the Dieppe Raid, escorting landing craft toward Blue Beach, where the Royal Regiment of Canada lay trapped beneath the cliffs. Under the command of LCdr. Romuald Nałęcz-Tymiński, she fought for twenty-two hours, fifteen of them under direct fire: shelling German shore batteries, beating off thirty air attacks, and shooting down four Luftwaffe aircraft.

ORP Ślązak (L26), the Polish destroyer that fought at Dieppe for twenty-two hours and came back with 85 Canadians aboard.
ORP Ślązak (L26), the Polish destroyer that fought at Dieppe for twenty-two hours and came back with 85 Canadians aboard.

Nałęcz-Tymiński brought Ślązak in close to the beach and refused to leave the battle until he had picked up every Canadian he could. In total, he saved 85 men, 32 of them from the Royal Regiment of Canada. He was awarded Britain's Distinguished Service Cross. Decades later he settled in Toronto, where he was made an honorary member of the Royal Regiment of Canada, the regiment he had helped save.

HMCS Haida in Hamilton and ORP Błyskawica in Gdynia. Twinned in 2006, they are the only two surviving warships of their alliance — and they are still formally linked. HMCS Haida in Hamilton and ORP Błyskawica in Gdynia. Twinned in 2006, they are the only two surviving warships of their alliance — and they are still formally linked.
HMCS Haida in Hamilton and ORP Błyskawica in Gdynia. Twinned in 2006, they are the only two surviving warships of their alliance — and they are still formally linked.

In 1944, the Canadian destroyer HMCS Haida and the ORP Błyskawica served side by side in the 10th Destroyer Flotilla, hunting German ships in the English Channel ahead of D-Day. Both ships survive today as museum vessels: Haida in Hamilton, Ontario and Błyskawica in Gdynia. In June 2006, the ships were officially twinned and now continue as living monuments to the Canada-Poland alliance.

An injured Canadian soldier being carried off the ORP “Ślązak” (L26).
An injured Canadian soldier being carried off the ORP “Ślązak” (L26).
LCdr. Romuald Nałęcz-Tymiński. He commanded Ślązak at Dieppe, and lived out his life in Toronto among the men he had pulled from the water.
LCdr. Romuald Nałęcz-Tymiński. He commanded Ślązak at Dieppe, and lived out his life in Toronto among the men he had pulled from the water.
“Nobody did more than he did to get the Canadians out. He didn't want to be a hero, but he certainly was in Dieppe.”

Chapter 3 of 9

BROTHERS IN THE AIR

303 SQUADRON AND THE AIRLIFT TO WARSAW

During the Battle of Britain, 303 Squadron's 'A' Flight was commanded by a Canadian — F/L John Kent, whom his Polish pilots nicknamed “Kentowski.”

A Halifax of 148 (Special Duties) Squadron in Italy. Aircraft like this one flew the run to Warsaw and back — twelve hours, no fighter escort, at two hundred metres over the drop.
A Halifax of 148 (Special Duties) Squadron in Italy. Aircraft like this one flew the run to Warsaw and back — twelve hours, no fighter escort, at two hundred metres over the drop.

Four years later, during the Warsaw Uprising, Canadian crews flew the Warsaw airlift: twelve-hour unescorted runs from Italy to drop supplies to the Home Army. Losses ran to roughly one aircraft for every ton delivered. Halifax JP276 “A” of 148 Squadron was shot down on the way home from its drop, near Dąbrowa Tarnowska. Five of the seven men aboard were Canadians — among them the navigator, P/O George Alfred Chapman of Toronto, aged 24.

Fragments of Halifax JP276, recovered near Dąbrowa Tarnowska and held today by SPK Branch 20 in Toronto.
Fragments of Halifax JP276, recovered near Dąbrowa Tarnowska and held today by SPK Branch 20 in Toronto.

Polish villagers buried the crew in secret to hide them from the Germans. In 2007 the men were laid to rest with military honours in Kraków. Fragments of their aircraft are held today by SPK Branch 20 in Toronto.

F/L John Kent with his Polish pilots of 303 Squadron. They called him “Kentowski,” and he answered to it for the rest of his life.
F/L John Kent with his Polish pilots of 303 Squadron. They called him “Kentowski,” and he answered to it for the rest of his life.
Airmen from all parts of the world who took part in the Dieppe Raid in front of the Hurricane "Urundi" of No. 43 Squadron at RAF Tangmere, 20 August 1942. From left to right - P/O Andrzej Malarowski of No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron, pilots from Australia, Gold Coast, Canada, USA and New Zealand.
Airmen from all parts of the world who took part in the Dieppe Raid in front of the Hurricane "Urundi" of No. 43 Squadron at RAF Tangmere, 20 August 1942. From left to right - P/O Andrzej Malarowski of No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron, pilots from Australia, Gold Coast, Canada, USA and New Zealand.
P/O George Alfred Chapman of Toronto, navigator, aged 24. He is buried in Kraków with the rest of his crew.
P/O George Alfred Chapman of Toronto, navigator, aged 24. He is buried in Kraków with the rest of his crew.

Chapter 4 of 9

1941–1944

BROTHERS ON LAND

NORMANDY AND THE FALAISE GAP, 1944

Gen Stanisław Maczek's 1st Polish Armoured Division landed in Normandy at the beginning of August 1944 with some 16,000 men and 380 tanks, fighting as part of 2nd Canadian Corps. Together, Polish and Canadian forces helped close the Falaise Gap, trapping the retreating German Seventh Army — one of the decisive actions of the campaign. On 21 August, soldiers of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division broke through to relieve Polish troops who had been cut off for days on Mont Ormel, ground the Poles came to call “the Mace” for the terrible cost of holding it.

The map shown here is the work of engineer Wacław Czerwiński, a veteran of the struggle for Polish independence, and an outstanding Polish constructor who helped design the Avro Arrow supersonic fighter jet in Canada.
The map shown here is the work of engineer Wacław Czerwiński, a veteran of the struggle for Polish independence, and an outstanding Polish constructor who helped design the Avro Arrow supersonic fighter jet in Canada.

Maczek's division did not stop there. It fought north through France and Belgium into the Netherlands, liberating Breda in October 1944 without the loss of a single civilian life. The city made General Maczek an honorary citizen. He is buried there, among his soldiers.

Volunteers at Camp Kościuszko, Owen Sound. Nine hundred and two men trained in a disused furniture factory, in a county where the census counted fifty-three Poles.
Volunteers at Camp Kościuszko, Owen Sound. Nine hundred and two men trained in a disused furniture factory, in a county where the census counted fifty-three Poles.

At Camp Kościuszko in Owen Sound, Ontario, 902 Polish volunteers trained between 1941 and 1942, quartered in a disused furniture factory. Officers billeted with local families; households took to inviting a soldier home for Sunday dinner.

“Polish Sgt. Killed in France.” The Owen Sound Sun Times ran Paweł Grzenia's death notice as it would a local boy's.
“Polish Sgt. Killed in France.” The Owen Sound Sun Times ran Paweł Grzenia's death notice as it would a local boy's.
LCol Antoni Grudziński (right) conferring with a Cdr. of a Canadian division in his command car during joint manoeuvres. Newmarket, 7-10 August 1943.
LCol Antoni Grudziński (right) conferring with a Cdr. of a Canadian division in his command car during joint manoeuvres. Newmarket, 7-10 August 1943.

Sgt. Paweł Grzenia - or “Paul”, as he was known to the residents of Owen Sound - was killed fighting at Chambois on 27 August 1944. The local newspaper ran an article mourning his death, noting heʼd made many friends during his short stay in Canada.

“I often wondered whether these men from beside a Canadian lake would prove as brave as those others — from the Warta, the Vistula, the Niemen. And those men were not merely brave. They were heroic. They were given to Poland unto life and death.”

Chapter 5 of 9

SUPERSONIC PARTNERSHIP

THE AVRO ARROW AND ITS POLISH PILOTS

On 25 March 1958, Janusz Żurakowski — a Battle of Britain fighter pilot, decorated with the Virtuti Militari — took the controls of the Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow for its maiden flight over Malton, Ontario. It was Canada's most ambitious postwar aerospace project: a supersonic interceptor built to defend North American skies. Żurakowski flew it to Mach 1.89; Władysław “Spud” Potocki — a fighter ace of the Polish squadrons in the RAF — later pushed it to Mach 1.98. In addition, in 1952, Żurakowski became the first person in Canada to break the sound barrier.

The Avro Arrow over Malton, 1958. Canada's most ambitious aircraft, first flown by a Polish pilot.
The Avro Arrow over Malton, 1958. Canada's most ambitious aircraft, first flown by a Polish pilot.
Janusz Żurakowski leaving the cockpit. He flew the Arrow twenty-one times and took it to Mach 1.89.
Janusz Żurakowski leaving the cockpit. He flew the Arrow twenty-one times and took it to Mach 1.89.

When the program ended in 1959, both men had already secured their place in Canadian aviation history — the most visible of a generation of Polish-born airmen and engineers who helped build Canada's aerospace and defence industry. Żurakowski was inducted into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame, and a park bearing his name, with a full-scale Arrow replica, now stands in Barry's Bay, Ontario.

Władysław “Spud” Potocki, fighter ace. He took the Arrow to Mach 1.98, and flew the last one ever to leave the ground.
Władysław “Spud” Potocki, fighter ace. He took the Arrow to Mach 1.98, and flew the last one ever to leave the ground.

Another Pole whose name has gone down in Canadian history is Wsiewołod Jakimiuk, the designer of the Chipmunk aircraft. It was the first postwar model manufactured in Canada, and it featured many innovative solutions compared to other training aircrafts in widespread use at the time.

The Chipmunk training aircraft, designed by Polish aeronautical engineer Wsiewołod Jakimiuk. Its prototype was built shortly after the war, in 1946.
The Chipmunk training aircraft, designed by Polish aeronautical engineer Wsiewołod Jakimiuk. Its prototype was built shortly after the war, in 1946.

Chapter 6 of 9

1998

INTO THE ALLIANCE

CANADA AND POLAND'S ACCESSION TO NATO, 1998–99

On 2 February 1998, Canada became the first allied country to ratify the accession of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic to NATO. Poland formally joined the Alliance on 12 March 1999 — with the Czech Republic and Hungary, the first former Warsaw Pact states to do so.

Members of multiple nations conduct a firepower demonstration for media and special guests during Operation REASSURANCE at Camp Adazi, Latvia on March 29, 2023.
Members of multiple nations conduct a firepower demonstration for media and special guests during Operation REASSURANCE at Camp Adazi, Latvia on March 29, 2023.

It marked Poland's definitive return to the community of Western democracies, and laid the foundation for the deepening defence partnership between the two countries that continues today.

The Polish flag raised at NATO, March 1999. Canada had been the first allied country to ratify, fourteen months earlier.
The Polish flag raised at NATO, March 1999. Canada had been the first allied country to ratify, fourteen months earlier.
A Canadian soldier from 3 R22eR receives instruction from a Polish Lt. from 25th Air Cavalry Brigade, at the Airmobile Parachute Training Center in Leznica Wielka, Poland on September 22, 2015 during Operation REASSURANCE.
A Canadian soldier from 3 R22eR receives instruction from a Polish Lt. from 25th Air Cavalry Brigade, at the Airmobile Parachute Training Center in Leznica Wielka, Poland on September 22, 2015 during Operation REASSURANCE.
“On January 25, 1999, Aleksander Kwaśniewski, President of the Republic of Poland, received Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien at the Presidential Palace. At the start of the meeting, Aleksander Kwaśniewski thanked the prime minister for Canada being the first NATO member country to ratify the expansion of the Alliance.”

Chapter 7 of 9

BROTHERS IN ARMS TODAY

AFGHANISTAN

In Afghanistan, Canada and Poland each took on some of NATO's hardest assignments. Canada led combat operations in Kandahar, while Poland deployed forces to Ghazni Province and special operations forces to Kandahar. More than 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members and over 33,000 Polish soldiers and defence personnel served in Afghanistan.

Members of Oscar Company Group, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment and Polish soldiers practice drills on the 84 mm Carl Gustaf at the range during Operation REASSURANCE in Central and Eastern Europe on November 19, 2014.
Members of Oscar Company Group, 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment and Polish soldiers practice drills on the 84 mm Carl Gustaf at the range during Operation REASSURANCE in Central and Eastern Europe on November 19, 2014.

The mission cost the lives of 158 Canadian Armed Forces members and 43 Polish soldiers. In 2008, when Canada sought greater allied support for operations in Kandahar, Poland publicly backed that call and pledged helicopters to help strengthen NATO's mission.

Lt. Samson Tso, an Engineer Officer, and Maj. Tomasz Sek of NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Latvia, exchange national flag patches before the end of their rotation at Camp Ādaži, Latvia, on 07 December 2023.
Lt. Samson Tso, an Engineer Officer, and Maj. Tomasz Sek of NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Latvia, exchange national flag patches before the end of their rotation at Camp Ādaži, Latvia, on 07 December 2023.

Today, the two armies stand in the same formation. Canada's first deployment under Operation REASSURANCE in 2014 was a land task force based in Poland. Op REASSURANCE has since grown into the Canadian Armed Forces' largest overseas operation, with Canada serving as the framework nation for NATO Multinational Brigade Latvia, which reached full operational readiness in 2026. Poland serves alongside Canada in that brigade, contributing a mechanized company, specialized troops and headquarters staff to a formation that brings together fourteen NATO nations.

Allied support for Ukraine. A Canadian Globemaster aircraft delivers a Leopard 2 tank to Poland, April 2023. Canada additionally donated $50 million to the Leopard 2 Maintenance and Repair Centre in Poland, which maintains and sustains Leopard 2 tanks donated to Ukraine by Canada and other partners.
Allied support for Ukraine. A Canadian Globemaster aircraft delivers a Leopard 2 tank to Poland, April 2023. Canada additionally donated $50 million to the Leopard 2 Maintenance and Repair Centre in Poland, which maintains and sustains Leopard 2 tanks donated to Ukraine by Canada and other partners.

Poland is central to Canada's support for Ukraine through Operation UNIFIER, the Canadian Armed Forces mission established in 2015. From its support and coordination elements in Poland, the mission enables training for Ukrainian personnel across Europe and facilitates the movement of military assistance to Ukraine.

So far, in 2026 alone, CAF personnel supported the transfer of approximately 10 million kilograms of donated equipment through Poland's logistics network. Poland's enduring partnership and support provide the foundation that enables Canada to sustain and adapt its assistance to Ukraine in response to evolving needs.

Chapter 8 of 9

SHARED INDUSTRY

A TWO-WAY RELATIONSHIP

Canada and Poland are deepening two-way defence industrial cooperation. More than 60 Canadian companies have invested in Poland, employing over 17,000 people, with many of these jobs in aerospace and defence. Polish aerospace exports are key to Canadaʼs civilian and defence sectors, and Polish TNT is a critical input for ammunition produced in Canada.

In February 2026, Canada became the first non-European country to join the EUʼs €150-billion SAFE defence financing instrument. Poland, its largest recipient with €43.7 billion allocated, and Canada now have new opportunities to pursue joint procurement, combine industrial capabilities and expand defence production. In May 2026, our governments signed a Letter of Intent to advance cooperation between Canadian and Polish defence industries.

APU (Auxiliary Power Unit - a generator used to start the main engines of aircraft and ships) undergoing testing prior to customer delivery. Canadian and Polish aerospace expertise come together in the development, production, aftermarket including testing of auxiliary power units (APUs) for military and civilian aircraft worldwide
APU (Auxiliary Power Unit - a generator used to start the main engines of aircraft and ships) undergoing testing prior to customer delivery. Canadian and Polish aerospace expertise come together in the development, production, aftermarket including testing of auxiliary power units (APUs) for military and civilian aircraft worldwide

Canada is honoured to serve as Lead Nation at MSPO 2026, 10 years after the first Canadian booth at MSPO 2016. This follows Poland's role as Spotlight Country at CANSEC 2026 in Ottawa, Canada's largest defence and security trade show.

Canadian-made composite rubber tracks reduce weight, noise and vibration on Poland’s Borsuk Infantry Fighting Vehicle while improving crew comfort and mobility.
Canadian-made composite rubber tracks reduce weight, noise and vibration on Poland’s Borsuk Infantry Fighting Vehicle while improving crew comfort and mobility.
Ballistic helmets manufactured in Gdańsk equip Canadian Army forces under the Dismounted Infantry Capability Enhancement (DICE) programme. Poland has become an important production and sustainment hub for advanced soldier systems used by Canada, Poland and other NATO allies.
Ballistic helmets manufactured in Gdańsk equip Canadian Army forces under the Dismounted Infantry Capability Enhancement (DICE) programme. Poland has become an important production and sustainment hub for advanced soldier systems used by Canada, Poland and other NATO allies.

Chapter 9 of 9

THANK YOU

THE COMMUNITY THAT CARRIES THE MEMORY

More than one million Canadians identify as being of Polish origin. Polish settlement in Canada began in 1858, when settlers from Kashubia arrived in the Madawaska Valley. Later waves of immigration — before and after the world wars, during the “Solidarity” era, and after 1989 — continued to shape the community while preserving Polish culture, traditions, and historical memory.

Group photo of delegates to the SPK General Assembly in Ottawa, 1953. View from the War Memorial toward the south.
Group photo of delegates to the SPK General Assembly in Ottawa, 1953. View from the War Memorial toward the south.

The Polish Combatantsʼ Association (Stowarzyszenie Polskich Kombatantów) was founded in 1946 on the initiative of demobilized soldiers of the Polish Army who, after World War II, were unable to return safely to their homeland. SPK branches in Canada helped Polish veterans find jobs, obtain government assistance, and start new lives.

Delegates to the 19th General Convention of the SPK in Canada, held in London, Ontario, May 1981.
Delegates to the 19th General Convention of the SPK in Canada, held in London, Ontario, May 1981.

From the very beginning, SPK has defended the good name of Poland and Poles and has supported Polish education, youth, and Polish community organizations. Today, it cultivates the traditions of the Polish military, preserves the memory of Polish-Canadian veterans, and actively participates in the life of the Polish community in Canada.

An SPK delegation during the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy, 1984.
An SPK delegation during the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy, 1984.

Founded in 1933, the Canadian Polish Congress (Kongres Polonii Kanadyjskiej) is the national voice for Polish Canadians — uniting community organizations across the country into a single, unified body. The KPK advocates for the Polish-Canadian community, strengthens ties between Canada and Poland, and promotes Polish culture, heritage, and historical memory.

KPK President Dominik Roszak speaking at the annual commemoration at the Haller Army Cemetery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, June 2025.
KPK President Dominik Roszak speaking at the annual commemoration at the Haller Army Cemetery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, June 2025.

Through its national leadership, regional branches, and member organizations, the Congress works with governments in both countries, supports cultural initiatives, engages younger generations, and commemorates key moments in Polish and Polish-Canadian history.

This exhibit was assembled by that community, mostly from its own archives. The men and women in these photographs were our members; several of the objects were carried home by them. A hundred years of brothers in arms is not only a matter of governments — it is also a matter of the families who kept the photographs.