THE WILNO HERITAGE SOCIETY
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Even if the Museum Buildings are closed,
you can still enjoy the special attractions of
Wilno Heritage Park
& Skansen/Open Air Museum.

Take a walk along the Path of the Polish Kashub Pioneers where visitors are introduced to the first Polish Kashub settlers through commemorative heritage stones. These fieldstones from original homesteads are engraved with pertinent genealogical and land settlement details. It is hoped that eventually there will be a heritage stone for each original Polish Kashub immigrant family. In 2006, the first stone from the Polish Hills of Otter Lake, Quebec [Kluke Family] and the first stone from a Renfrew farm family [Cobus/Kobus] were unveiled.  As of January 2009, there were 41 commemorative stones in Wilno Heritage Park, and a number of new stones are to be added later in the season.

For those who would like to place a family stone at the Park to honour their family's first Polish Kashub ancestors, please contact the museum curator at maskconn@magma.ca or David Shulist, President of the Wilno Heritage Society,  at heritage@wilno.org   For photographs of the heritage stones at Wilno Heritage Park, CLICK HERE

Take time to check out the Perennial Flower Gardens which bloom from early May until the first frost in September/October. These gardens were established by Wilno Heritage member Andy Borutski and are lovingly maintained by Heritage Directors, Teenie Mask and Ursula Jeffrey and a crew of volunteer workers and weeders. Teenie also decorates the park with corn stalks and pumpkins and gourds for the autumn harvest season; and then with pine boughs and red branches for Christmas.

The fences of the Park, made of roots, stones and cedar poles also deserve a closer look as these were typical of those found on the first pioneer farms. And the showpiece of the gardens is the old stump puller restored and donated to the Museum by Martin Shulist.

Take time to stop by the Three Crosses - two original and one more recently built  cross made in the old Polish Kashub tradition of Crosses at Crossroads. For more information, CLICK HERE.
In 2008, the three crosses at Wilno Heritage Park were relocated to the east of the Timber Frame Shed to facilitate the landscaping around the log farmhouse.

Take a moment to visit the scooped roof shelter - and reflect on the strong faith of the Polish Kashub pioneers. This small building features the iron cross salvaged from the fire of 1936 that burned the first Polish parish church in Canada, which was dedicated to St. Stanislaus Kostka. The shelter also features two window frames from the first church which are now used to frame and showcase photographs and histories of all the area churches where there was once a large Polish Kashub parish base. This building was also relocated in 2008.

&
Be sure to Come back
when the Museum is open.
CLICK HERE for seasonal hours.

Displays and exhibits change each summer.

CLICK HERE for New Museum Displays for Summer 2009.
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For more information on the Wilno Heritage Society e-mail:
heritage@wilno.org