105 The Royal Canadian Legion MANITOBA & NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO COMMAND www.mbnwo.ca completely shaved off. They were fumigated every day for several weeks to kill the body lice. They had to be treated for lice under the skin which was red and swollen from scratching. Stanley remembered his first meal – rice, macaroni, and milk. Since he weighed less than 100 pounds, he decided that if he was to die, it would be with a full stomach. To regain strength, the soldiers were transported to the warmer climate of the Middle East. It took about six months to regain their strength. As each person became stronger, they were trained and took part in the defense of freedom. Stanley was sent to the front lines in Italy, and he was there when peace was declared in 1945. Through correspondence with his sister, who had sent him parcels when he was a prisoner, she advised him, if he had a choice, to not return to Poland as they only had bread to eat. An army translator came to Stanley’s unit and told the men that, since they fought in the defence of British Commonwealth, they could go to Canada if they met certain conditions. A person had to be single, not have been in jail more that thirty days and must have worked on a farm. Stanley met all these requirements. In 1946, Stanley landed in Halifax, travelled to Winnipeg and finally arrived at Tony Zagula’s east of Riding Mountain. Tony’s father and Stanley’s father had farmed next to each other in Poland. Stanley worked for Tony for one year. During this time, with Tony’s help, Stanley put in an application to farm on his own. In 1947, Stanley bought the McCallum farm (SE 1/4of 8-18-15) with 16 acres broken and with Charlie Rouse’s (councillor) guidance, he bought S.W. ¼ of 8-18-15 for $100 at a tax sale. This had seven acres broken and sown to alfalfa. To start farming, Tom Grudeski gave him two horses, and he bought two more (Maggie and Neelie) and a wagon. He started to plow the sod with a walking plow. However, the horses were out of condition, and he could see that they would never accomplish the task. He bought his first tractor, a 15-30 International from Wilfred Pelk for $500 and started working the sod properly. He borrowed $7,000 for clearing and breaking the land which was later sown to wheat. Many people worked for Stanley throughout the years. Mr. Steve Emery drew grain for him for seven consecutive years. From 1959 to 1965, he was a horse dealer, buying horses around the country to sell and ship to buyers in Quebec and Nova Scotia. People there used the horses for logging and on tobacco farms. In 1966, he built a barn (40 x 120) and went into the P.M.U. business. In 1975, disaster struck. His barn burned killing the 37 pregnant mares online and two stallions. His barn was insured for $21,000, but there was no insurance on the equipment or the horses. The barn was never rebuilt. From the horses which were in a pen outside the barn, Stanley continued to raise, buy and sell horses to other P.M.U. farms. Since arriving in Canada, Stanley returned to his homeland twice. What he saw and heard there was of great concern to him. A flourishing black market existed because the current regime could buy more on the world market with our money. Stanley sent cash to his relatives to help buy necessities. He realized that he and his countrymen were but a few of the many who suffered. Democracy and freedom were very important to him. He was happy to be living in Canada. Stanley was a member of The Royal Canadian Legion Neepawa Branch 23. He passed away on February 12, 2002, and is buried in the Riverside Cemetery in Neepawa Lot 9, block 8, Range 27. KALINOWSKI, Stanley (continued)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0NTk1OA==