Recap: 40th Anniversary Luncheon

On November 2, 2025, we celebrated a very special milestone — 40 years of Ogniwo Polish Museum bringing together the stories of Polish immigration to Manitoba. More than 180 guests joined us for our 40^th anniversary lunch, including representatives from Polish and Canadian institutions, community organizations, friends, and our amazing volunteers.

We were honoured to welcome Polish Consul General Marek Ciesielczuk, City of Winnipeg  Councillor Bryan Mayes (St. Vital), and representatives of many Polish-Canadian organizations from across the province. A special highlight of the day was the presence of Will and Mavis Tishinski, whose generosity has helped the Museum take on exciting new projects and inspired our plan to expand.

Our host for the afternoon was Dorota Blumczyńska, CEO of the Manitoba Museum and a member of our Museum Expansion Project Subcommittee. Speakers shared heartfelt congratulations and thanked our volunteers for their dedication to preserving the history, culture, and stories of Polish Manitobans.

Guests enjoyed a fascinating talk from Dr. Zbigniew Izydorczyk on why archives matter so much to community identity. He reminded us that every letter, photo, and memory helps keep our shared story alive. Organizations like ours play a key role in protecting this “living memory.”

During the lunch, we premiered a short film by Mirek Weichsel about our museum’s roots and our collections. Ogniwo has always been more than a museum: it’s a space for exhibits, concerts, lectures, Polish-language classes, and cultural workshops.

We took time to celebrate the volunteers who keep Ogniwo running. They preserve artefacts and archival records, assemble exhibits, organize events, teach, repair, clean, and warmly welcome every visitor. Thanks to them, Polish culture and the history of our community remain vibrant and visible.

Ogniwo is the only museum of its kind in Canada, and we’re increasingly receiving donations from Polonia across the country. With this growing responsibility, we’re excited to share our next chapter. Our president, Magdalena Blackmore, announced that Ogniwo is expanding its mission and will now be known as the Polish Canadian Museum & Archives (PCMA). We will continue to be that “ogniwo”—the link between past and present—while preserving stories from Polish communities nationwide.

To support this new vision, we’re launching a capital campaign to raise $10 million over the next ten years. These funds will help us secure a new, larger space in Winnipeg where our collections can be properly stored, displayed, and shared. Thanks to the generosity of Will and Mavis Tishinski, and to all of our visitors and supporters, we’ve already taken that first big step. Visit our Expansion page to support us!