The City of Richmond officially acknowledged Polonia Day earlier this week, passing a proclamation recognizing this annual celebration on May 2.
“I feel thrilled and happy that the city will acknowledge Polonia Day. There are about 150,000 Polish people living in British Columbia. A proclamation like Polonia Day is recognizing the city’s diversity,” said Michael K. Dembek, president of the Canadian Polish Congress BC.
This year, Polonia Day has special meanings for many residents of Polish descent following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Dembek said every single Polish person here in Canada is proud of their families and friends in Poland for welcoming almost three million Ukrainian refugees.
“Over 2.5 million refugees have crossed into Poland within a month, and we don’t have a single refugee camp. Everyone is opening their doors, trying to help and feed people,” said Dembek, noting the Polish community here has also raised thousands of dollars to support people in Ukraine.
Former Richmondite Janina Freyman, 85, president of Polish Canadian Women’s Federation No. 4, also attended the proclamation event with her three granddaughters. She said the current Ukraine crisis hit home.
Freyman, who fled the Second World War from war-torn Poland along with her family, said she felt extremely emotional after reading news about Poland not only opening its doors and putting on the best bed sheets for Ukrainians, but also allowing them to have access to health benefits.
The current Ukraine situation triggered so many memories for Freyman, who was also offered a free room for her family to stay when they first arrived in Richmond in the summer of 1948.
Freyman recalled that her father first came to Richmond from Montreal alone to find a place for them to start a new life after their family moved to Canada from Europe.
After spending a week wandering the streets of downtown Vancouver looking for a home, Freyman’s father sat down on Cordova Street, where he was approached by a stranger who later called another Polish family in Richmond for help, said Freyman.
"The stranger phoned his friend for help, and she said without any hesitation: 'please bring them over. We have a spare attic.' So my father went there, climbed up a ladder, and looked at the attic. There were two beds in the attic and a cat was lying on one of them," recalled Freyman.
Soon after, Freyman along with her mother and younger sister, reunited with her father in the house on No. 3 Road at Blundell Road.
"We were so surprised that they just let us in, and we never paid any rent. We tried to help out by picking berries at the farm, but they even paid us when we picked berries," said Freyman.
Freyman's parents later worked on a mink farm -- which they eventually bought.
Freyman, now president of the Polish Canadian Women Federation No 4, said her family came to Richmond with nothing, but her family has lived a good life by working hard.
"Every day, I am so happy and I feel grateful for how rich I am," said Freyman, adding that she hopes her journeys could inspire others to believe in miracles of life – especially during hard times.
