At Copernicus Lodge, our traditions help create a true sense of home for the residents who have built and shaped our community. One of them, Boleslaw Parson, often reminds us how these customs keep our shared heritage alive.
Boleslaw was born in eastern Poland near the Ukrainian border. In 1944, when he was just 13, his family received a terrifying ultimatum—leave their home within 20 minutes or face death at the hands of occupying forces. That moment marked the beginning of a long journey across Poland, one that would eventually lead him to a new life in Canada.
After graduating in engineering from Szczecin Polytechnic, Boleslaw rose to become Director of the Technical Department in Stargard Szczecin. By then, his parents had already emigrated to Canada after being granted permission to leave during the harsh post-war period. Though his colleagues could not understand why he would leave a successful career, Boleslaw was determined to reunite with his family. After five years of effort, he arrived in Montreal aboard the Stefan Batory in 1966 with his wife and two young daughters, carrying all their possessions in a single trunk. They later settled in Toronto.
Boleslaw spent 24 years working at Stelco and became deeply involved with St. Casimir’s Church, building a life in Roncesvalles Village that he describes as “bajka na ziemi”—a fairytale on earth. He remembers the 1970s vividly, when Polish community leaders and war veterans went door-to-door raising support to help build Copernicus Lodge. He contributed what he could, never imagining that he would one day call it home.
After losing his beloved wife Gertruda in 2006, Boleslaw struggled with loneliness until fellow parishioners encouraged him to visit Copernicus Lodge. What he found was more than a residence—it was a vibrant Polish community. He joined the choir, Młodzi Sercem, and a dance group, sharing the music and traditions he had carried since childhood.
Slowed by age, he moved into in our long-term care home, where he continued to enjoy the warm, familiar atmosphere that makes Copernicus Lodge so special. “It is excellent here. It is wonderful here,” he would tell everyone, a testament to the caring environment that surrounded him every day until his passing in September of 2025.
