Nowości prasowe z Kanady

Tak to jest jak nasza "klasa polityczna" zajmuje się "poważno polityko zagraniczno"...
www.tvn24.pl/ewa-kopacz-ujawnila-tajemni...-rzadu,549932,s.html

globalnews.ca/news/2049561/video-why-swe...-immigration-system/

.....i troche tla

swedenreport.org/2015/06/02/goodbye-sweden/

Gorace lato bedzie na swiecie w tym roku

www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-busine...nth/article24976803/

Komu...? Komu...? Bo... idą wybory!

Stephen Harper pledges major funding for Toronto transit
fw.to/0MR18DM

Sygnaly

business.financialpost.com/news/economy/...stunts-global-growth

Jakieś przemyślenia...?
"Canadian dollar slips below 75 cents for first time since 2004"

wojtek napisał:

Koszt wieloletniego politycznego wyciszenia Polonii w Kanadzie w sprawie nie tylko imigracji Polaków do Kanady:

To już $6M na ten pomnik. Najciekawszy argument przeciw to ostatni punkt: "• Too similar to a planned national Holocaust monument."

Moim subiektywnym zdaniem koszt wyciszenia tematu imigracji Polaków z Irlandii, UK i Europy wśród Polonii zwłaszcza tej torontońskiej jest potencjalnie niewspółmiernie wyższy od $6M, gdyż jest zagrożona kontynuacja polskości/polonijności w starzejącej się społeczności polskiej emigracji sprzed 20-30-40 lat w Kanadzie. Wraz z mijającym czasem maleje waga polonijnego głosu jak i znaczenie polonijnej społeczności w Kraju Klonowego Liścia na tle innych grup etnicznych, itd itp. Dla warstw politycznych po obu stronach oceanu to pozytywne zjawisko. Dla społeczności polonijnej w Kanadzie to powolna agonia, a dla Polaków w Europie, no cóż... Ktoś kto nie miał możliwości zamieszkania i pracy w Kanadzie nie będzie mieć świadomości o alternatywach dla siebie.


Federal advisers slammed initial design for anti-communism monument

"A federal advisory panel lambasted an early, sombre design for a national memorial to the victims of communism as potentially “detrimental to the dignity” of nearby Parliament Hill, newly released documents show.
The National Capital Commission’s advisory committee on planning, design and realty also had concerns last year about the project’s price tag, “negative symbolism” and structural safety, particularly in the slippery Ottawa winters, the internal records reveal.
Other documents disclosed under the Access to Information Act say the projected cost of the memorial – to be covered by federal and private funds – had almost doubled to about $6-million by January of this year.
The records help explain why the commission unveiled plans in May for a redesigned and significantly smaller version of the memorial. The commission is expected to consider a final design in November, after the federal election.
The Conservative government has strongly backed the planned memorial as a means of recognizing the more than 100 million people around the globe who died or suffered under communist regimes. The government is managing the project on behalf of Tribute to Liberty, a charity established in 2008.
The initiative has drawn fierce criticism from critics who object to the memorial’s stark design and location on a patch of green in the parliamentary precinct long reserved for a new Federal Court building.
A lawsuit aimed at blocking the project has been placed on hold until after the final design has been approved.
It was well-known that the federal advisory committee, composed of leading architects and planners from across Canada, had concerns about the memorial. But the newly released minutes of the committee’s Aug. 21 and 22, 2014, meetings reveal disdain for the entry that would later be selected as the winner by a jury.
The design by Toronto-based Abstrakt Studio Architecture features a series of angular peaks, or “memory folds,” with more than 100 million pixel-like “memory squares” – each representing a person – covering the exterior face of the folds. The initial idea was to have the folds depict a mural of dead bodies when viewed from a distance. The design also includes a Bridge of Hope and elevated viewing platform.
The members praised the plan to depict individuals as “a strong gesture” and said the overall concept “makes a statement.” But they also considered the design:
• Well over budget;
• Replete with negative symbolism that could be misinterpreted as offering no hope, and be detrimental to the dignity of Parliament Hill;
• A statement of negativity, since the images of corpses would be seen from many vantage points in the capital;
• Problematic to build in that subtleties would be lost in the execution;
• To pose safety and accessibility issues, including slippery surfaces in winter;
• Too similar to a planned national Holocaust monument.
The committee also worried the Bridge of Hope would offer a less-than-inspiring view of a heating plant and felt a planned “aggressive lighting scheme” would alter the Parliament Hill landscape.
The National Capital Commission cited ongoing input from the advisory committee in late June when it outlined several changes to the winning design.
The memorial would now occupy just over one-third of the site – not 60 per cent – and its overall height had dropped by about half to approximately five metres.
The new plan also included more attention to landscaping, additional trees, nuanced lighting and better access for the disabled. In addition, it emphasized the theme of Canada “as a land of refuge” in the memorial’s imagery and message."

KPK response to M. Wegierski

As President of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Polish Congress, I feel impelled to respond to the article entitled "Some hopes for a more effective Canadian Polonia" written by Mark Wegierski.

While I sadly must agree with some of his statements and comments. I would like to explain, refute, and inform Mr. Wegierski about some of the "realities" of Polonia in Canada.

Let me begin by saying that it is true that most of Polonia's shortcomings result from a lack of funds. Please believe me, there are those who give in Polonia - give of their time, effort, and finances, but they are always the same individuals. Why, one might ask? Why don't most Canadians of Polish descent include the Congress or one of the Foundations you mentioned in their wills? Why is it that the Canadian Polish Congress can send out a request for sponsorship - a simple $100.00 would do - to 400+ businesses in Polonia, only to receive maybe 5 responses? Why do even some Member Organizations of the Congress balk at paying $10 a year per member - because it increased by a dollar? We as a community have failed, generally speaking, in building and developing a culture of giving to support Polonia.

Mr. Wegierski is correct in saying that "many Polish- Canadians do considerably or even very well in Canadian society. However, this personal success has, unfortunately, rarely been translated into greater clout and success for the community as a whole.". Part of the problem, in my opinion, is that Polonia has been intolerant of many members of the Canadian Polish community due to their lack of Polish language skill. Speaking perfect Polish should not be a criteria for being a member of Polonia!

There is also the perception of some, that Polonia is still too involved in "all things Polish and what happens in Poland." We should be supportive of a democratic Poland, praise it loudly, visit Poland to learn more about our heritage and also encourage our children and grandchildren to be proud of their ancestry and know the history of Poland. However, we live in Canada and have adapted to the Canadian lifestyle while maintaining our Polish traditions and customs. The success of the Roncesvalles Polish Festival in Toronto shows that we are proud of our heritage but also recognizes that we are now part of the Canadian society.

Mr. Wegierski begins his article with the statement "that the lack of intellectual and cultural infrastructures for the Polish-Canadian community is particularly troubling." and goes on to list several periodicals and journals which have become defunct over the years. My response would be that those who are raised here and complete their education here are likely to have access to excellent professional materials in English and prefer to read in English. There are still periodicals printed by various organizations for example, the Polish Teacher's Association, Polish Scouting Association, but these are of interest to their members. Irene Tomaszewski quarterly publishes a fantastic on-line magazine called "Cosmopolitan Review" which is in English and therefore more viable for many members of Polonia. The suggestion that some "Polish-Canadian newspapers may be interested in having such a quarterly magazine supplement" is fine but most Polish newspapers have gone to an on-line format and publish only once a week due to costs and lack of readership. The reality is that today, various forms of media allow everyone to see and hear things happening in Poland and Canada without buying a Polish newspaper.

I'd like to point out that several important contributors to the "intellectual and cultural infrastructure" of Polonia have been omitted. The Polish Catholic Church in Canada continues to maintain culture in our community. One has to just look at the work of the Family Radio, the seminars by visiting professors (several in English) organized by Friends of the Catholic University in Lublin which have been held at St. Maximillian Kolbe Parish and the various concerts, such as the pipe organ concert, held at St. Eugene de Mazenod to see the input of our parishes in the intellectual and cultural life of Polonia. The Polish Engineers Association regularly holds lectures and seminars, often in English, concerning contemporary events in the scientific community. The Canadian Chopin Society not only organizes the Chopin Piano Competition with the winners going to Warsaw for the prestigious worldwide competition, but also interesting concerts featuring Canadian artists of Polish descent. Ludowa Nuta, Symfonia Choir, Andrzej Rozbicki, and Maciej Jaskiewicz among many others provide a variety of musical alternatives. Various theatre companies such as the Polish Canadian Society of Theatre - Theatre, Poetry, and Music Salon put on plays relevant to the community and our history sometimes with English subtitles. Artists such as Ania and Wojtek Biczysko, Iwona Dufaj, Janusz Charczuk, and Wojtek Macherzynski, to name only a few, often showcase their work both in Polonia and in the general Canadian community Numerous folk ensembles across Canada keep the culture of our folklore alive by introducing our youth to the rich history of music and dance of their ancestors. These are just a few examples, mainly in the GTA region. Many more such groups/people exist across Canada and proudly work to maintain Polish culture and tradition through the Arts and through various organizations. My point is, Mr. Wegierski, that Polonia does not lack in opportunities to have intellectual and cultural stimulation.

As to the foundations which give bursaries to students of Polish descent, each of them has their own criteria which must be met. It seems odd that Mr. Wegierski suggests to consider only students of the social sciences. The foundations accept applications from students in all faculties. The reality again is that they can only give out what they have in trust. Once again the problem is that not enough people in the Canadian Polish community leave money in their wills or donate to these foundations.

Now for the Congress. The function of the Canadian Polish Congress, to represent our community's interests before the people and Government of Canada and to promote awareness of and respect for Poland's history and heritage and the contribution of Poles to the culture of Canada and the world. I have spent 5 years as President of the Board of Directors trying to build up the visibility of the Congress. There have been several events run by the Congress, among them "Polish Heritage Day at the ROM" which featured artists, musicians, historic displays, films and books by authors who reside in Canada and are of Polish descent. My aim is to have the Canadian Polish Congress be exactly that - Canadian - with a pride in the achievements and involvement of Poles who came here for a new life and live here on a daily basis as part of the Canadian society. In order to have a stronger voice in what matters to Canadians of Polish descent we need to be visible, eloquent (in English), support those from our community who enter politics because they have our interests at heart, support our businesses, our churches, our organizations, our seniors homes, and show other Canadians who we are and what we have done here in Canada and worldwide.

With this in mind, and with the upcoming 150th Anniversary of Confederation in 2017, the Canadian Polish Congress has decided to do a film about the input of Polish immigrants into the development and growth of Canada over the 150 years. We have applied for a Federal Grant and hopefully will receive generous support from various sources in our community. The film will include events before confederation when the Kaszubians arrived in Ontario, the history of the coal miners in Cape Breton, the miners in Noranda and Sudbury, the farmers who helped open the West and those who farmed in southern Ontario the Veterans, engineers, and survivors who arrived after WWII, and the "Solidarity" immigration right up to the present.
We are having a fundraising banquet on Saturday, October 17, 2015 in Burlington. We are looking for funds for this endeavour. Will you be supporting it, Mr. Wegierski? I can send you an invitation to the banquet and a sponsorship form.

@wojtek

Goniec to chyba jakies muzealne czasopismo, ani linku do oryginalnego artykulu, ani mozliwosci przeczytania bez subskrypcji. Perpsektywy prezentowane tchna "tutejszoscia" jakby Polonia Kanadyjska wczoraj przybyla zza Buga i osiedlila sie w Toronto i okolicach