Wilno – A Little Piece of Polish Kashubia in Canada

July 9, 2023 by admin

At the base of Algonquin Park, nested in the picturesque terrain of the Madawaska valley shaped during the melting of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, is a tiny town unique to Canada. What’s unique you may ask? Well take the name Wilno for starters. Whats in a name? Wilno is the Polish name for the city of Vilnius in Lithuania. One of the principle cities of the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, Wilno has historically had a large Polish Population. That being said, it should be easy to guess the uniqueness of the town. Welcome to Canada’s Kashubia, a little Poland in Ontario!

The Madawaska Landscape
Exploring Wilno
Visiting St. Mary’s Church
Myths and Legends
Nearby Attractions

The Madawaska Landscape

This part of Ontario is filled with lakes and rivers. The bodies of water are nested between the hill and small towns dot the landscape.

There are plenty of little beaches on these lakes and it can be a great place to canoe!

Exploring Wilno

Off roadway 60 (the same roadway heading into Algonquin Park), you will find the village of Wilno. On roadway 60 itself you will find the always delicious Wilno Tavern Restaurant, serving traditional dishes. This is a great place to stop to eat after a long day in Algonquin Park. Just off the roadway itself, you will find a collection of log cabins as well as small parking lot. Pull in here.

A sign here will greet you into the Kashub Heritage Park. In fact Wilno is the first and oldest Polish-Kashubian settlement in Canada. Most of the original settlers originate from Kashubia, an area located to the northern extent of Poland on the Baltic sea in the area. Many of these come to North America during a great economic migration during the 19th century while the group in Wilno itself came around 1858. The towns founder Reverend Ludwik Dembski did not want the town named after himself so they named it after Wilno.

At one time Algonquin Park was an important lumber producing area, and this extended to Wilno, a stop on the Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway (see link to Parry Sound). The previously mentioned tavern was built by the tracks and was the towns first hotel.

Today the Heritage park incorporates the old railbed, now a recreational trail, as well as a collection of old homes now amalgamated into the Kashubian Museum. The museum seeks to share the stories of the early settlers in the Madawaska valley and the hardships they faced. Life back in Prussian occupied Kashubia may have been difficult but the wild lands of the Algonquin were no less difficult. It is a testament to the hard work and strong sense of community that the Kashubian culture still thrives here today!

Anyway the is a great place to walk around in, especially as they leaves turn every which hue of yellow!

Visiting St. Mary’s Church

Sitting on a hill to the east of the town you will find the tall spires of the church of St. Mary’s. Historically Poles have been devout Catholics, even having their own rock start Pope (John Paul II). The church was constructed in 1875 and is perhaps the most remarkable in these parts. From the church itself you will have a great view of the Madawaska hills.

Myths and Legends

Everyone loves vampires, and of course the classic bloodsuckers are an important part of Kashubian myth and lore! The Kashubs may be staunch Catholics, yet have continued to import old world superstition into their modern culture. It is believed that any birth abnormality is a sign that the child is destined to become a vampire and that they have specific ways to kill them. For more information check out this website here or alternatively here.