Honoured And Distinguished Members
Major General Stefan Mieczysław Sznuk served in the Polish Air Force, including as Chief of Staff during the Battle of Britain. Promoted to the rank of Major General by the Polish Government-in-Exile in 1964. In 1941, assigned to Ottawa as the Military and Air Attaché to the Polish Legation, a post he held until the end of the war. A highly active member and Vice-President of the Canadian Polish Congress for many years. Appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1970.
https://www.federacjapolek.ca/nowy/image/2009_images/polish_spirit_persons/sznuk.pdf
Jerzy Ruebenbauer Raised in a spirit of patriotism, fidelity to his fatherland and devotion to God. Active member of the Ottawa Polish community. He served as president for the Ottawa Branch of the Canadian Polish Congress, and as president of the Polish Canadian Club. He was the Secretary of the Ottawa Committee for Poland’s Millennial Anniversary of Christianity (Ottawski Komitet Obchodów Millenium), and a member of the Roman Dmowski Institute established in New York by Wojciech Wasiutyński. His home in the Glebe became a venue for many conferences and activities of the National Party (SN) in exile.
Zofia Kuczyńska Ruebenbauer was a woman of integrity, deeply devoted to the well-being of Poland and the Polish diaspora. A noble, compassionate individual whose life embodied service, solidarity, and civic responsibility. A wartime volunteer, Home Army courier, and participant in the Warsaw Uprising, she survived German captivity and dedicated her postwar life to service, education, and cultural preservation. An active and respected leader of the Polish community. She played a key role in organizing the Millennium Celebrations in Ottawa. She led numerous humanitarian initiatives—supporting Polish institutions, building St. Hyacinth’s Polish church in Ottawa, providing medical aid to Poland during martial law, and assisting vulnerable communities in Eastern Europe. Committed to cultural dialogue and social responsibility. She established The Ruebenbauer Foundation, dedicating her entire estate to promoting Polish culture and traditions in Canada.
Irena Ronikier Bystram - a distinguished agricultural specialist, a dedicated community leader, and a devoted Polish patriot. She served for many years as President of the Canadian Polish Club in Ottawa, was an active member of the Canadian Polish Congress, a member of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in Canada, and Coordinator of the Defence and Promotion of Poles Committee of the CPC (Ottawa Branch). She was deeply committed to public service and provided long-standing support to Polish communities in Belarus, Lithuania, and Ukraine. She will be remembered as a person of great heart, strong character, and unwavering sense of duty. Her life of service, integrity, and love for Poland is remembered with lasting gratitude and respect.
Barbara Rudak, a first-generation Ottawan, lived a life defined by service, resilience, and a generous spirit. Barbara believed in giving back to the community that embraced her, actively involved in social and volunteer initiatives, finding particular fulfillment in her work with the local Polish Scouts. She organized fundraising events, supported youth programs, and warmly opened her home to visiting scouts and their families—creating a place of welcome, care, and belonging.
Jerzy Andrzej Bobola Jan Bosko Maria Czartoryski He was actively involved in the life of the Ottawa Polonia, volunteering in many organizations (Association of Polish Engineers in Canada, Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in Canada, Polish National Unity). In the mid-1980’s, he was elected vice-president of the Canadian Polish Congress, Ottawa Branch, and served as its president from 2006 to 2013. He was a Knight of Honour and Devotion of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. He devoted his free time to his long-standing hobby: genealogy.
Through sustained fundraising and advocacy, the Club has supported critical cultural institutions, including the Museum of Polish Pioneers in Wilno (Ontario), the Polish Social and Cultural Centre (POSK) in London, and the Polish Library in Paris. Among its most significant cultural contributions was the acquisition of a rare 1613 edition of The Chronicle of European Sarmatia by Aleksander Gwagnin, donated to the POSK Library in London. The rare book was restored with the assistance of Library and Archives Canada (LAC). At the initiative of the Club, a fundraising campaign was organized to restore the Sobieski Chapel at Kahlenberg in Vienna.
Over its nearly 90 years of existence, the Canadian-Polish Club has organized dozens of academic events, national commemorations, and public lectures for Ottawa’s Polish community. Its members have played—and continue to play—an active leadership role in the Canadian Polish Congress, frequently serving in senior and executive positions. Several Club members have been honored with prestigious awards for their contributions to both the Polish diaspora and Canadian society at large. The Club continues its long-standing tradition of cultural stewardship, community leadership, and public engagement in Canada’s capital.
