Key Number:	HS 26611
Site Name:	Crowsnest Pass Polish Hall
Other Names:
Site Type:	0203 - Social and Recreational: Community Centre or Hall

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			8	4	5

Address:	1406 - 82 Street
Number:	6
Street:	82
Avenue:	14
Other:
Town:	Crowsnest Pass - Coleman
Near Town:

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:	Rectangular
Storeys:	Storeys: 1
Foundation:	Basement/Foundation Wall Material: Brick
Superstructure:
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:	Medium Gable
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:	Boxed Cornice Wall Design and Detail: Decorated Parapet Chimney Stack Material: Brick
Exterior:	Boxed cornice, 2 brick chimney, decorated parapet.
Interior:	N/A
Environment:	N/A
Condition:	Structure: Good. Repair: Good. 17 MAR 1980.
Alterations:	N/A

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Constructed.	1927/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
Hall Hall	1927/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
N/A

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	N/A
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	THE POLISH HALL The Polish Brotherly Aid Society built this hall just down the street from the Ukrainian Hall in the same year, 1927. It was constructed in brick, but was soon covered with stucco and painted. A front foyer was also added. It has a stepped parapet capped by a semicircle. The diamond-shaped opening no longer houses its original fine stained glass window. Founded in 1916, the Polish Brotherly Aid Society was able to pay six dollars a week to an ill miner's family in 1917. On a miner's death his widow received a lump sum of one hundred dollars. Membership dues and donations from a variety of organizations paid for the construction of hall in 1927. The hall provided a meeting place for about two hundred Poles from Coleman, Bellevue and Blairmore, where they could enjoy plays, concerts, lectures, and reading in the library. The Polish Hall was designated a Registered Historic Resource in October, 1989. RESOURCE Crowsnest Pass Polish Hall ADDRESS Coleman BUILT circa 1927 DESIGNATION STATUS Registered Historic Resource HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE Immigration to the western mountainous regions of Canada occurred in the latter part of the nineteenth century as mines began to extract coal from the numerous productive seams for the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway line into the Crowsnest Pass in 1897-98. Mines then sprang up as many companies moved in to compete for the markets and with them came miners from many European countries. One of the towns that grew quickly with the influx of these immigrants was the settlement of Coleman. Founded in 1903, it became the centre of Polish settlement and culture in the Crowsnest Pass. Shortly after organizing in 1916, the Polish Brotherly Aid Society bought a house in Coleman and called it the Polish Hall until they built the present hall. Municipal records and the date inscribed on the front of the building indicate 1927 as the date of construction but a recent article in Alberta History claims it was completed in 1928. As a community of skilled craftsmen, the Poles may well have built the structure themselves. The Polish Hall has an exceptional record of retaining it original use as a meeting place for various Polish social, cultural and educational activities. It represents various important themes in the development of the history of western Canada. First, it points to the diversity of the ethnic backgrounds of the immigrants who came to work in the coal mines of the West. Next, it illustrates the sense of community felt by members of a similar cultural background and their desire to help one another in time of emotional and economic need. Finally, it shows that although these miners were primarily laborers, they perceived the need for social, educational and cultural activities and worked together to create a physical place for the fulfillment of these ambitions.

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:
Provincial Historic Resource	2009/10/27

Register:	N/A

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places:	4665-0720