Jozef, Maria Majocha and Family

Reasons for Coming to Canada:

Life in Poland was restricted in terms of having a decent living. Up to this point there were two classes of people; the very rich and very poor. A person in the latter classification was subject to exploitation by the rich.The poor had to slave for the rich being remunerated next to nothing. This condition offered no possibilities, no prospect and certainly no future. It was hard to continue living in Poland as a pauper, therefore life somewhere else looked promising and Canada offered a vision for a future. Through information received a person could purchase a 160-acre parcel of land for $10.00 dollars. This land contained a lot of bush, which was extra attraction. Canada was a stable, young and growing country, which was enticing immigrants to come to Canada and help to develop. Finally on April 14, 1928, Dad, his brother, cousin, and a friend boarded a small ship in Gdansk to cross the Baltic Sea arriving at Southampton, England on April 19, 1928. They boarded the ocean liner "Metagama" for the long journey across the Atlantic Ocean, and landed in Halifax, NS. Then dad and others journeyed west, working here and there along the way. Then Dad bought a homestead in Kinlock, Saskatchewan.

How did you adjust to Life in Canada?

The most important adjustment was immigrants had to learn the language. Dad spoke Polish, German, Russian, and Ukrainian, but had no knowledge of English in Canada. To overcome the barrier they were assisted by other people who spoke the language then translated into English which worked well providing there was a person present to translate. As time went by Dad was able to understand and learned English enough to get by through a Polish-English dictionary. Since Poland was much different, people worked less, visited often and did not find a bank account a necessity. All that was abandoned in Canada - to work hard and have a will to prosper. There was a relief program during 1928-1930 to assist people in need. The Saskatchewan government allotted 15 dollars per month to each family for a short time. The funds received had to be repaid by means of building roads. The RCMP were there to enforce a repayment schedule to make sure a person reported for work. To blend into society, Dad contacted the Canadian Immigration board as to dress code and style for men, women, and children. With this information, we fit in well amongst people. Food wise it was much better in Canada, as on the farm we had a garden, chickens, geese, ducks, beef and pork to provide ample food for the family. This is our Dad - Joseph Majocha's story written by his daughter Josephine. Dad has since passed away March 12, 1987.

Now I shall say a few words of Mom's, mine, and my two brothers - Mayan and Bill - recollection of the trip to Canada. We boarded Danish Ocean liner Fredrik VIII from Gdansk Poland. While being on the boat, I remember opening a porthole and getting splashed in the face by a wave. The cabins were small and we had to go to the dining room to have meals. While there I'd pick up these party cracker wrappers that were on the floor and under tables and came into the cabin and Mom would ask, what are we going to do with them? I said I wanted to take off these pretty outfits that were posted on them. Today I wish I had some of them. Today I wish I had some of them for souvenirs. We landed in Halifax May 29, 1929. When in Halifax, I remember seeing lots of mattresses laid out on the floor for people to sleep on. Also there were these panels mounted on stands in rows and spaced out to walk in between. I would go around and see these big fish painted on these panels; they were different types of fish painted. They looked so big. Then we took a train from Halifax going west. There were wooden benches on the train, and each time the train stopped it would stop with a big jerk and I slid off the seat each time. Then the next time I'd brace myself, but it didn't work; I'd be down on the floor again. Then we stopped over in some city. While there, we waited at the station; I saw this big bin in front of sort of a storefront. Each time a lady would came by she put a hat into the bin. I kept wondering why these ladies were dropping their hats in and was quite amazed by it. Then we took a long car trip and along the way all you saw was the fields and fields and very few trees, just clumps here and there. We came to town called Kelvington, Saskatchewan. Today it's where all the good hockey players come from. We stayed with a host family that lived north of Kelvington for a few weeks. Their names were Mr. & Mrs. Laythrope. Out house was not quite finished on the homestead in Kinloch. I don't know how Mom managed with strange people. Not knowing the language must have been a hardship. Finally we came to the house that Dad built. I remember the door wasn't put on. The bush around the house was very thick. My mom would warn us kids not to go too far from the house or we'd get lost. Dad made a clearing around the house and a small plot for a garden. Mom put some seeds in that she brought over. Then came winter. It sure was cold and there was lots of snow. The first winter Dad would snare rabbits for meat. Out of skins, Mom made comforters and coved cotton covers out of flour sacks. There was a store and post office about 4 miles away. The things that Mom had was what she brought in the trunk from the old country such as clothing, pots & pans, dishes, and cutlery. It was pretty tight for Mom and Dad for a while. During harvest time, Dad would go and work for a big farmer for a few months until harvest was done. When Dad came home he'd bring oranges and apples, crackerjacks, popcorn, and other goodies. Us kids would be so thrilled with the treats as they were so rare. I can still taste the orange and apple today. They have the taste of then. When Dad was home he'd work for other people clearing land of trees for 25 cents a day. At the end of the day, he'd be so tired and sore, he couldn't sleep at night. That was the early thirties, also called the dirty thirties. Then things stated to get better, four more children were born in Canada - Stefany, Anton, Alexander, and Edward. We all are spread across Canada. Mom died May 18, 1998 at the age of 96.

Thoughts of being a Canadian:

At the time, Dad's desire was to be a proud Canadian and us kids followed him. Something we wanted to achieve: the parents wanted to think, speak, and act like a native and knew there were laws to obey and protect us, freedom to own property and we would no longer be exploited. Dad had the urge to accept any established symbol of Canadian identity, in selecting his new country, knowing the choice was for the better life for his family. Of course we learned out first language was "Polish" which will always be with us. Dad strived and obtained his Canadian citizenship and accepted the culture of his new country to make for a peaceful life. We're proud to be Canadians.

There is no better land than "Canada".

Josephine (Majocha) Hancock