THE VILLAGE GLEANER

Local Poles honour
Pope John Paul II
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Name may soon adorn street signs

By Jennifer Weatherhead

A group of west end residents are hoping to memorialize the late pope by adding his name to local street signs.
The area's Polish community had a very strong connection with, and pride for, the Polish pope, and some local Poles went to keep his legacy alive by adding "Pope John Paul II Boulevard" to the top of the street sign for Roncesvalles Avenue between Westminster and Queen streets.
Jesse Flis, director and first vice president of Copernicus Lodge, a Polish-Canadian senior's centre, stressed the community isn't proposing to rename the street.
"I understand the importance of keeping the Roncesvalles [Avenue] name. It has meaning and a history," he said. "But the pope had a huge impact on this Polish community that we want to have a never-ending memory of his time here and his life."
According to Councillor Sylvia Watson's (Ward 14, Parkdale-High Park) legislative assistant, Karolina Ivankovic, the process has been put in motion, and the community is investigating whether Vatican approval is necessary.
The councillor, she added, has also come up with alternatives if the ward doesn't agree to the addition. "Councillor Watson thinks it is an interesting idea," said Ivankovic. "But she needs to gauge the community response and an alternative would be to designate the square where the pope's statue is after the pope."
Roncesvalles Avenue already has some memorabilia of the late Pope. Copernicus Lodge recently added the name "Pope John Paul II Care Centre" to its title, and a statue of the pope stands outside St. Casimir's Roman Catholic Church (156 Roncesvalles Ave.).
"It was very evident from the funeral celebrations after the passing of the pope that he had an impact on this community," said Flis. "I had never seen such a large gathering and such a moving event."
The Polish community almost came to a standstill during Pope John Paul II's funeral. Almost 10,000 people, of various cultures, united to celebrate his life. Many gathered around the Saint Casimir statue, which commemorated Pope John Paul II's 1984 Toronto visit, placing flowers at its base.
"There were thousands of flowers and lots of candles burning when word came that he was very sick," said Saint Casimir's Pastor Janusz Blazejak. "When he died it was sad, but also a celebration of his life and a thank you to God for giving us this pope."
Blazejak went to Rome in 2004 to meet the pope personally and present him with a gift from Toronto's Polish community.
"When you meet the pope in person you think you have all kinds of things to ask him," Blazejak explained, "but you don't ask him, you just listen. You are in awe of his presence. He just had that effect. He made us very proud to be Polish."
Father Edward Ewczynski of St. Cecilia's Catholic Church said many Polish people were proud of the pope's political impact, particularly in dealing with communism.
"We were all very proud of it. He experienced communism and he knew the evils of this system, and through spiritual teachings he brought the people together to fight communism," explained Ewczynski, noting he would support adding the pope's name to the Roncesvalles Avenue street sign.
"I would not oppose it," he said. "It would be a wonderful way to keep his spirit alive in our area."
However, not everyone in the Polish community is in favour of the proposal. Ryszarda Patola of Venus Flowers on Roncesvalles Avenue said while she is Catholic, she isn't fanatic about remembering the pope. "I don't really care if they want to add to the name," she said. "But they can if they want. I just wonder about the costs. Who would pay, and would everyone have to change their address?"
According to Councillor Watson's office, there would be no cost because Roncesvalles Avenue is scheduled for a sign replacement in the near future. Watson's office also said there would be no change to addresses because it is simply a designation, not a name change.
Flis stressed the change is still an idea. "The tributes to Pope John Paul II haven't stopped yet. This is another idea," he said. "The Italians have a street named after Sophia Lauren, why can't the Poles have a Pope John Paul II Boulevard?"
For Teresa Budzilo of Artus Polish Bookstore, it would be something special for the community and the city. "The pope didn't just have an impact on the Polish community, he had it on so many people," Budzilo said. "I remember when he was here for Youth Day in 2002. It was terrible weather, so hot and rainy." Budzilo paused to reflect on that important day. "The pope came and suddenly it cleared up, like magic. I had high blood pressure, but I just had to go."
Budzilo said the Polish community of about 10,000 people would probably like to have the pope's name added to the sign.
"It would be something special for a lot of people in the community," she said, leafing through a book commemorating the pope's life. With a hint of sadness she added, "He was a special person" (THE VILLAGE GLEANER The Community Newspaper for Toronto's West End, Vol. 5, No. 8 May 2005).