"We felt as if we were visiting the graves of our dearest, our relatives, our beloved, because these names, these figures, those stories were our stories." In September 2015 three women; Carol Culleton, 66, Anastasia Kuzyk, 36, Nathalie Warmerdam, 46 were murdered in and near Wilno. The killer, Basil Borutski, was subsequently charged and convicted of the crimes. Historical plaque The government of Ontario erected a historical plaque in Wilno, providing these specifics:The first group of Polish immigrants to Canada, some 300 in number, established a settlement in this area in 1864. Adverse social conditions and political unrest in their partitioned homeland had encouraged them to leave. They cleared the land and rapidly established a thriving agricultural community. During the 1880s the village founded here was called Wilno after the birthplace of the Reverend Ludwik Dembski one of their spiritual leaders. In 1875 the parish of Wilno was organized and a chapel dedicated to the polish saint Stanislaus Kostka, was built. The Canadian Atlantic Railway linked Wilno with Ottawa in 1894. This district, which received a new wave of Polish immigrants in the early 1900s, retains much of its cultural heritage. Annual Chicken Supper on the Labour Day Weekend This supper has been an annual event since 1936. Approximately 2,000 people have been served each year during Labour Day Weekend. The food is authentic Kaszebe–Polish fare; one source states that it includes "boiled chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, fresh vegetables, such as carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, pickles, and of course choices of apple, raisin, and coconut cream pies". In 2019, some 3,000 meals were served by volunteers; the 550 pies were also baked by volunteers. The 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario. See also William Kurelek Polish Canadians Vilnius List of museums in Ontario References 1. Source: Makowski, William. The Polish People in Canada: A Visual History. "V: Ontario: A Century of Courage and Tenacity." Montreal: Tundra Books, 1987. 53-73 External links The Wilno Villager Official Tourist Site Wilno unofficial website Wilno Heritage Trails Wilno Heritage Society Annual Chicken Supper held at St. Mary's Church in Wilno. CHCR Homegrown Community Radio A Century of Courage and Tenacity The Kashoubs of Renfrew See http://www.interment.net/data/canada/ontario/renfrew/hagarty/stmary/index.htm to See Saint Mary Cemetery Wilno, Hagarty Township, Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada @ www.interment.net/Canada/Ontario recorded by Marty C Byzewski, Apr 30, 2009. Home of Polish Pioneers and also see http://www.interment.net/data/canada/ontario/renfrew/hagarty/ststan/index.htm Saint Stanislaus Pioneer Cemetery