Polish Friendship "Zgoda" Society

The Polish Friendship "Zgoda" Society is open to everyone. Polish Friendship ZGODA Society was established in the year 1926.

The Polish Community in Vancouver began building in 1956 and was completed in 1959.

Engineered by Roman Zurowski, the architect of “Dom Polski.” Roman Zurowski was the President of Polish Friendship “Zgoda” Society from 1956-1960. The first significant wave of Poles arrived in British Columbia early this century; though they came directly from Japan, not Poland. They had been serving with the Russian forces and taken prisoner by the Japanese in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904. Most of them were economic immigrants who didn’t want to return to Russian-occupied Poland, and instead settled on farms in the Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island, or got jobs as railway workers.

Combined with a small number of immigrants who arrived in the late 1800s, there were about 1,300 Poles scattered about the province by 1921.

In 1926, seven friends started the Polish Friendship Society in Vancouver to maintain the Polish identity, preserve the Polish language and help new arrivals. In 1959, the association opened the Polish Community Centre on Fraser Street.

There are many events that take place at the Centre, check back for updates or visit the website for more information. The centre is, also, available for rent for many different types of functions from weddings, to parties, to sports events. Please call (604-874-8620) or email the Centre (office.polishcom@shaw.ca) for more information and rental fees.

The Polish Community Centre, also, has a Polish Folk Dance Ensemble called Polonez. This dance group is open to anyone and everyone. The adult group practices on Thursdays from 7-915PM and the teens practice on Thursdays, as well, from 6-730. Polonez has performance at many functions from Majorca, Spain to the Vancouver Christmas Market. No experience is necessary.