When most Western New Yorkers think of Polonia, they think of events and people located in the City of Buffalo or one of its immediate suburbs, such as Cheektowaga, Depew or West Seneca. Few people are aware of the great number of Polish-Americans who live in the smaller cities and towns of Western New York outside of Erie County and in Northwestern Pennsylvania. Even fewer consider the Polish-Canadians of Southern Ontario.

Over the last few years, I visited some of these "forgotten" pockets of Polonia and have discovered some very active communities. Whether you are in Toronto, Rochester, Oil City, Niagara Falls, Hamilton, Elmira, Syracuse, Wilno, Dunkirk, Oshawa, Auburn, Burlington, North Tonawanda, St. Catharines, Batavia, Kitchener, Olean, Brantford, Erie, Mississauga, Medina, Salamanca, London or Perry, Polonia is alive and well for now, but if it is to remain so, we must join together to address the problems which face our Community.

If Polonia is to survive as an identifiable Community, it is vital to keep open the lines of communication among organizations which represent people of Polish descent in our region and groups from different geographical areas should get to know one another and support each other. That is the reason that I compiled this information which I realize is far from complete. I believe that it is a first step in the right direction and I am asking everyone who uses this website to become part of this project.

I think that it is important that Polonia organizes on a regional level if we are going to be able to maintain our unique ethnic identity. Every year there are fewer people who truly identify themselves with Polonia and take an active part in our Community. Assimilation, parochialism and "turf" considerations will soon spell the end of Polonia as a cultural, political and economic force in Western New York and Southern Ontario if we do not take concerted action. It is up to those of us who are active in Polonia to try to stem the tide of apathy. We must coordinate activities, support the events of other Polonia groups, and address issues on a regional basis with one voice. We must replace the traditional view of Polonia as a small, geographically identifiable neighborhood with the broader concept of a "Polonia of the Heart", based upon the cultural and emotional ties that bind us together as a Community. This website is a tool to facilitate the intra-Community communications necessary to bring about this coordination.