The organization was federally integrated on 7 February 1933 in
Winnipeg,
Manitoba, and was initially known as the Federation of Polish Societies in Canada. The KPK was founded in 1944 or 1948 In the post-war period, the KPK was dominated by WWII veterans associated with the Polish Combatants Association. In the 1950s, under the presidency of
Tadeusz Brzeziński, the KPK was involved in the transfer of the
Wawel Castle treasures and a number of
Chopin manuscripts, under its safekeeping since World War II, to Poland. In 1973, the left of centre Polish Alliance of Canada (PAC, founded in 1907) left the KPK in disagreement over the proponents of total independence of Poland that controlled the KPK, the close ties between the KPK and the government in exile, and accusations that the PAC was pro-communist. The disagreement between the PAC and KPK started to surface in the late 1960s, with the PAC advocating that the main focus of Polish-Canadian organizations should be assimilation and integration in Canada while promoting Polish culture, and opposing a non-Canadian political focus. In 1982, following the emergence of
Solidarity, the PAC rejoined the KPK. The KPK was a vocal supporter of Poland’s Solidarity movement. In 1981 and 1982, the KPK staged widespread protests in Canadian cities in support of Solidarity and in opposition to the Soviet Union and the imposition of
martial law in Poland. The KPK, in what Clements describes as "the most contentious tone the CPC [KPK] had recorded in its history", urged the Canadian government to take action against the Polish authorities and to accept Polish political refugees. KPK's demands were largely rejected by Canadian Prime Minister
Pierre Trudeau, though they did succeed in getting Trudeau to address Parliament in January 1982 in support of loosening the martial law restrictions in Poland. In 2014 the KPK was said to represent about 150 Polish-Canadian organizations. That year also saw an academic conference in Poland dedicated to the history and activities of the KPK. As of mid-2010s, the KPK is involved in the construction of a
Memorial to the Victims of Communism – Canada, a Land of Refuge in Ottawa. On October 5th, 2024 a new board was voted in. President Dominik Roszak, Vice President Iwona Malinowska, second Vice President Michael Dembek. ==Views==