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Polish ambassador asks ford assist with Ukraine struggle throughout Windsor go to

By Letitia Mooney

  1. Local News

Krzysztof Stanowski, director, International Cooperation Center of the City of Lublin, Poland plays a game with local students at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the International Children's Art Exhibition at Windsor City Hall on Friday, November 18, 2022. Krzysztof Stanowski, director, International Cooperation Center of the City of Lublin, Poland plays a game with local students at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the International Children’s Art Exhibition at Windsor City Hall on Friday, November 18, 2022. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

Seven million refugees have already flooded over the border, and another surge is coming.

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The opening of a children’s art exhibit at city hall on Friday turned into a call for solidarity and a plea for help for Lublin, Poland, one of Windsor’s sister cities.

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Lublin is close to the frontline of the war in neighboring Ukraine. Seven million refugees fled into Poland, including 70,000 now living in Lublin.

“We are facing, unfortunately, another wave because of the situation in Ukraine,” said Witold Dzielski, the Republic of Poland’s ambassador to Canada. “Russians are targeting the energy-related infrastructure. Winter is coming. And the families in Ukraine will be cold and they will look for support. So we are looking at another wave or waves of refugees from Ukraine coming to Poland. In that regard my request would be for the world community, Canada as well, to keep that in mind and to continue providing support and recognize the situation, which on the ground is a dire situation.”

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There is no space between Windsor and Lublin

Dzielski was part of a delegation representing Poland in Windsor on Friday for the opening of the International Children’s Art Exhibition, an annual celebration of the city’s relationship with 12 sister cities around the globe.

Witold Dzielski, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Canada speaks at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the International Children's Art Exhibition at Windsor City Hall on Friday, November 18, 2022. Witold Dzielski, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Canada speaks at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the International Children’s Art Exhibition at Windsor City Hall on Friday, November 18, 2022. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

Paintings from school children at Windsor, Fujisawa, Japan; Gunsan, South Korea; Saltillo, Mexico; Changchun, China; Lublin, Poland; and Mannheim, Germany, are now on display in the lobby at 350 City Hall Square.

The citizens of Ukraine and the countries helping them dominated the thoughts of those who stood at the podium on Friday during the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“I want to recognize our sister city for stepping up and doing what they can,” said Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens. “It cannot be overstated the effect of what you’re doing. It is absolutely amazing and the history books will record it that way.”

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The latest reminder of Poland’s perilous position came Tuesday when a missile killed two people near the Ukrainian border.

Dzielski said it is not believed the strike was intentional. It hasn’t been definitely determined who fired the missile. But for many Poles, he said that is irrelevant.

“The situation would not have taken place if it was not for the horrid Russian invasion on Ukraine, if it was not for the fact that Russia is targeting civilians,” said Dzielski. “They are destroying the infrastructure and they’re applying all the methods of war, which should not be taking place today.”

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, Coun. Fred Francis and local students participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the International Children's Art Exhibition at Windsor City Hall on Friday, November 18, 2022. Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens, Coun. Fred Francis and local students participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the International Children’s Art Exhibition at Windsor City Hall on Friday, November 18, 2022. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

He said Poland is seeing the effect on Ukrainian civilians first hand. More than seven million refugees entered Poland, though many have moved on to other countries.

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Krzysztof Stanowski, director of Lublin’s International Cooperation Centre, said 70,000 refugees are staying in his city, which previously had a population of 340,000 people. Another 1.3 million refugees have passed through Lublin.

Poland is expecting another million Ukrainians to arrive soon, said Stanowski.

“Some people are scared,” he said. “We are scared.”

Stanowski said Lublin is diverting money initially earmarked for construction of a new city hall to help refugees, including building new education infrastructure.

Krzysztof Stanowski, director, International Cooperation Center of the City of Lublin, Poland speaks at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the International Children's Art Exhibition at Windsor City Hall on Friday, November 18, 2022. Krzysztof Stanowski, director, International Cooperation Center of the City of Lublin, Poland speaks at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the International Children’s Art Exhibition at Windsor City Hall on Friday, November 18, 2022. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

Windsor recently sent $5,000 to Lublin to help the effort. Ward 1 Coun. Fred Francis is chair of Windsor’s International Relations Committee, which proposed sending the money.

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“Not a huge amount but symbolic,” he said. “Symbolic in that our relationship is strong and we stand side by side not only with our friends in Poland, but our sister city in Lublin. We stand side by side. There is no space between Windsor and Lublin.”

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Francis added that “our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Ukraine in their valiant struggle against that illegal war and occupation.”

Stanowski said some of the Windsor money was used to provide food and medical assistance to refugees. The rest bought Ukrainian books for libraries and schools.

“They arrived with nothing,” said Stanowski. “It’s easy to buy a toy. But we started to publish Ukrainian books in cooperation with partners from Ukraine to give them a piece of home.”

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Amy Zhang, 6, a student at Bellewood Public School checks out some of the art work at the official opening of the Windsor International Children's Art Exhibition at Windsor City Hall on Friday, November 18, 2022. The youngster contributed a drawing to the show. Amy Zhang, 6, a student at Bellewood Public School checks out some of the art work at the official opening of the Windsor International Children’s Art Exhibition at Windsor City Hall on Friday, November 18, 2022. The youngster contributed a drawing to the show. Photo by Dan Janisse /Windsor Star

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