Polish Schools in Edmonton
The first documented Polish school in Edmonton area was organized in 1906 by the Oblate Father Franciszek Olszewski in Krakow, approximately 55 miles south east of Edmonton. Another area with a high population of Polish settlers near Edmonton was Kopernik where another Polish school was opened in 1922. The first teachers in these schools were Roman Catholic priests who taught children Polish language, history and culture.
The first Polish community school in Edmonton opened its door in 1933 and it was named after the Polish poet Adam
Mickiewicz. The school initially operated in private homes until a permanent location for the school was found in the old Polish Hall. The school closed its door in 1939 due to the outbreak of World War II.
After the Second World War, the number of Polish immigrants arriving in Alberta increased greatly which created again the need for a Polish school. Consequently a new Polish school was organized in Edmonton and operated initially at the Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church in 1946, and later in 1954 at the Polish Veteran's Home.
Currently there are two weekend and one full-time Polish school in Edmonton: Henryk Sienkiewicz and the Maria Chrzanowska Polish Saturday Schools, and the John Paul II Polish Bilingual Program at St. Basil Catholic School.
