Toronto, since 1867 the capital of the province of Ontario and an industrial, commercial and cultural centre until the Second World War, was not, as it is today, the largest Polish community in Canada. Before that, it was Winnipeg in the province of Manitoba, where, due to the large number of Poles, there were Polish institutions: a Polish consulate, Polish churches, Polish organisations and newspapers, including, among others, "Gazeta Polska", a pioneering magazine in Canada published from 17 March 1908 to 30 October 1940, or "Czas", founded in 1914 and still existing today in a merger with "Fakty" magazine.

Little is known about the first Poles who settled in Toronto probably as early as 1870. It was not until 29 April 1907 that Polish émigrés founded the first organisation in Toronto, the Sons of Poland, which was the predecessor of the present Union of Poles in Canada. After World War II, the number of Poles in Toronto increased significantly. New Polish parishes were established, including St. Casimir's, Our Lady of Czestochowa, and St. Theresa. New organisations were formed, such as the Polish National Union, the Association of Polish Veterans, etc. St Stanislaus and St Casimir's Credit Union, the largest Polish bank, was established.

Today, there are more than 100,000 Poles or Canadians of Polish origin living in Toronto.

The first services for Poles living in Toronto were held as early as 1905. In the basement of St. Andrew's Anglican Church, ceremonies were held on the initiative of lay people, bringing together up to 20. The first retreat was celebrated by Father Pawel Sobczak of the Polish parish in Kitchener (see Sacred Heart Church in Kitchener) on 23-25 March 1907 at St. Mary's Church. Some 150 Poles had already taken part. As time went on, the need for a parish and a temple of our own emerged more and more. Finally, after four years, the day came on 3 May 1911, when the Poles established their first parish in Toronto, dedicated to St. Stanislaus Kostka, whose statue reigns in the main altar of the church.

According to information engraved in the cornerstone built into the northeast corner of the church, the original main building and parish hall were erected in 1879 as West Presbyterian Church. On 15 April 1911, the building was acquired and converted for use by Poles in Toronto, by Pope Pius X's chamberlain, Eugene O'Keefe and his daughter Helena McLean French. Fr Joseph Hinzman became the first parish priest of the new parish.

Eugene O'Keefe - a Canadian philanthropist - decided to help the Poles, who, having no temple of their own, thronged to attend Mass at St Michael's Cathedral. In April 1911, he purchased a complex of buildings in Toronto and gave them to the Polish community, including the temple that had previously belonged to the Presbyterian Church. The dedication ceremony of the church took place on 3 September 1911. Mass was presided over and a sermon in Polish was preached by Archbishop Joseph Weber of Kitchener.

On 29 June 1935, the church was handed over to the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The first Oblate pastor of the parish was Fr Stanislaw Puchniak OMI. In 1937, the Felician Sisters from Buffalo came to the parish. In August 1945, the first branch of the St. Stanislaus Credit Union was established at the parish, which, after merging with the similar St. Casimir's Credit Union, created the largest Polish bank, the St. Stanislaus and St. Casimir's Credit Union.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the parish had the largest youth group and dance group in the diocese, the 'Highlanders'. In 1969, the parish hosted Cardinal Karol Wojtyla on its doorstep. In 1986, the parish celebrated its 75th anniversary. The solemn Mass was presided over by Cardinal Józef Glemp. On 16 September 2001, celebrations were held here to mark the 90th anniversary of the parish. The jubilee Mass was presided over by Bishop Matthew Ustrzycki. In 2002, during World Youth Day, catechesis and meetings were held in the church for young people who had come from Poland.

"The parish produced seven priests, four of whom joined the Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (Fathers Edward Swiatek, Jan Mazur, Ryszard Wolak and Stanislaw Bak), and six parishioners joined the Congregation of the Felician Sisters," wrote Father Janusz Blazejak, OMI, in his book Half a Century of the Assumption Province in Canada (1956-2006).

The Polish character of the church is evidenced by its decoration. The main decorative elements are a statue of St Stanislaus Kostka, a guttergraph with the emblem of Poland and the inscription "Polonia Semper Fidelis", and a bust of Pope John Paul II, erected, as the plaque says: "In memory of the consecration of the renovated organ, which was carried out on 21 July by Bishop Wiktor Skworc during the visit associated with Pope John Paul II's arrival in Toronto to celebrate World Youth Day".

In the lobby of the church, on one of the walls, there is the so-called Polish Soldiers' Plaque, funded by the Association of Soldiers of the First Polish Armoured Division in Canada. It depicts, against the map of Europe, the route of the liberation of major cities by General Stanisław Maczek's Armoured Division.

Location: 12 Denison Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.