Malgorzata (Margaret) P. Bonikowska
20927 Main Street Tel: (416) 907-3225
Caledon, ON Mobile: (416) 262-0610
L7K 1R6
EDUCATION
1990 Ph.D., Linguistics, University of Warsaw, Poland
1985 M.A. (Distinction), Language Studies, Lancaster University, UK
1981 M.A., English, University of Warsaw, Poland
EMPLOYMENT
1998- Gazeta Gazeta (Polish-language newspaper) Toronto, ON
Publisher, Columnist, Culture and Toronto News Editor
2003- www.gazetagazeta.com (Polish-language online newspaper) Toronto, ON
Web Editor
1992- Gazeta Gazeta (Polish-language newspaper) Toronto, ON
Columnist (“Odczarowac Angielski” ESL column)
1999-2004 FENIKS Polish Film Promotion Toronto, ON
Vice-President
1992-1997 Gazeta (Polish-language newspaper) Toronto, ON
Freelance Journalist
1994-1997 LINC, Polish Immigrant and Community Services Toronto, ON
Lead Teacher
1992-1994 MENTOR Language School Toronto, ON
Founder, Director, and Teacher
1991-1992 Echo (Polish-language weekly)
Columnist
1990-1992 Department of English and Communications, Seneca College Toronto, ON
Professor
1981-1990 Department of English, University of Warsaw Warsaw, Poland
Assistant, Senior Assistant, Assistant Professor
1980-1981 M. Rej Secondary School Warsaw, Poland
English Teacher
AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
Canada
2012 Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal Award
2012 Ontario Volunteer Service Award
2005 Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland, awarded by the President of the Republic of Poland
2003 Canadian Ethnic Journalists' and Writers' Club 25th Anniversary Award in Journalism
2000 Parkdale-High Park Millennium Achievement Award
Poland
1988 Minister of Education Award for textbook in linguistics
1987 University of Warsaw Presidential Award for Achievements in Teaching
United Kingdom
1988 Oxford Hospitality Scholarship for Polish Scholars, Oxford University, Great Britain
1984-1985 British Council Scholarship, M.A. in Language Studies, Lancaster University, UK
PUBLICATIONS & CONFERENCES
Canada
1992- Author of hundreds of columns and news articles for Gazeta Gazeta (Polish language newspaper)
2010 “Social and Political Response to ‘Solidarity’ in Canada.” Presentation at the International Conference “The World towards Solidarity”, University of Wroclaw, Poland
2010 “What Can We, the Ethnic Press, Do for the Immigrant English Language Learner?" Presentation at the National Language & Cultural Expo 2010, Toronto, ON
1998 “Crime Prevention in the Polish Community.” Presentation at the conference “Creating Safe and Healthy Communities: What Can Be Done?" Mississauga, ON
1996 Workshop on Language Awareness as Professional Development for ESL Teachers, Polish Immigrant Community Services, Toronto, ON
1994 Odczarowac Angielski (translated title Demystifying English). Mentor Language Press, Toronto, ON (Book on ESL for Polish immigrants to Canada)
1992 “Language Awareness.” Presentation at Ontario College Conference, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON
Poland
1980-1990 Published over a dozen academic publications in linguistics and language teaching in Polish and British peer-reviewed journals
1980-1990 Presented academic papers at international conferences
INTERPRETING AND TRANSLATION
1997- Provided freelance interpretation (Polish-English and English-Polish) for press conferences of filmmakers, directors, actors, and other public figures at various cultural events
2011 Translated legal documents for Strype Barristers, Toronto, ON
2010 Provided simultaneous interpretation during visit of Righteous Among Nations from Poland, Toronto, ON
2006 Provided simultaneous interpretation for the Government of Poland delegation, OECD International Conference, Toronto, ON.
2003 Edited and translated Polish-language version of Official Souvenir Album - World Youth Day in Toronto, published by Novalis and Gazeta (the only non-official language version of the album)
1987 Translated two chapters for a textbook in linguistics, University of Warsaw, Poland
CULTURAL LEADERSHIP AND VOLUNTEERING
Organizational Work
1996- Co-founder, Head of Culture and Education, and Spokesperson for “Polonia for the Future” (Polish community organization)
1997-1999 Board member, Community Folk Art Council of Metropolitan Toronto
Film and Performing Arts
2008 Organized and hosted a screening of British filmmaker Wanda Koscia's documentary “The Battle for Warsaw '44” with the director present, Mississauga Central Library
2004-2006 Selected films and hosted screenings at the Toronto European Film Festival in Toronto “Eh! U - Meet the Europeans”
2005 & 2006 Hosted the Annual Polish Film Festival, Ann Arbor, Michigan
2004 Organized and hosted the Canadian visit and concerts of Polish choir "Redemptoris Mater" from Torun, Poland
2003 Provided simultaneous interpretation for Polish director Marek Lechki at the screening of his film "Moje miasto" ("My Town"), Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto, ON
2003 Co-organized and hosted the North American gala premiere of A. Wajda's “Zemsta” (“Revenge”), Odeon Theatre, Mississauga, ON
2003 Assisted the Cinematheque Ontario with film retrospectives of Polish film directors Andrzej Wajda and Andrzej Munk
2003 Organized and hosted the Canadian visit and concerts in Toronto of Polish youth choir “Scholares Minores Pro Musica Antiqua” from Poniatowa, Poland
2000-2005 Organized a Polish Film Discussion Club, presented monthly screenings of
Polish films and conducted discussions afterwards, Mississauga, ON
1995-2003 Co-organized and hosted the annual Toronto Polish Film Festival, Toronto
and Mississauga, ON
1999-2003 Organized distribution of five Polish films in Ontario and Canada and hosted the film screenings
2001 Presented Polish film "Yellow Scarf" at the Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival, Toronto, ON
2000 Organized and hosted screenings and organized subsequent Canadian distribution of documentary “A Forgotten Odyssey” by British filmmakers Jagna Wright and Aneta Naszynska on the mass deportations of Polish citizens to the Soviet Union during World War II
1999 Hosted the North American gala premieres of two Polish historical megaproductions: J.Hoffman's “With Fire and Sword” and A.Wajda's “Pan Tadeusz” at the Hummingbird Centre for the Arts, Toronto, ON
1995-1998 Hosted classical music concerts of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra,
Toronto, ON
Media
2009- Co-created and managed Polonium, a website featuring news about Poland as presented in English-language media around the world
(media coverage of the project: 2011 “Poles Apart.” Article in the Ryerson Review of Journalism on the Polonium online initiative; OMNI TV program)
1998-1999 Hosted phone-in radio show "Studio PP", Radio 530 AM
1994-1996 Co-founded and hosted “Studio 530”, Radio 530 AM
1992-1994 Created and ran an ESL segment on “Radio Zet” weekly radio show,
Radio 530 AM
Polish History
2005 Organized and supervised organizing team for exhibit “The Birth of Freedom: 25th Anniversary of Solidarity in Poland", hosted the opening ceremony at Mississauga Central Library. Exhibit also presented at libraries in Oshawa and Windsor, ON
2005 Hosted the “Solidarnosc: A Musical Tribute in Honour of the 25th Anniversary of Solidarity” concert by Toronto Sinfonietta with Maciej Jaskiewicz, Toronto, ON
2003 Co-organized and hosted Polish Independence Day - 11th November Commemorative Concert, Mississauga, ON
2001 Created the idea and supervised organizing team for exhibit “Attack on Freedom - 20th Anniversary of Martial Law in Poland,” hosted the opening ceremony with lecture by legendary Poland's opposition leader Kornel Morawiecki (interpreted from Polish into English for his interveiw with The Toronto Star), Mississauga Central Library
2000 Organized and hosted an event to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Solidarity at the UofT with the lecture of Prof. Jerzy Holzer (historian, Polish Academy of Sciences) and screening of documentary “Workers 80”, Toronto, ON
1998- 2004 Co-organized (with Polonia for the Future) and hosted annual 3rd May Polish Constitution Day on Roncesvalles outdoor events (concerts, exhibits, children's activities), Toronto, ON
Polish-Jewish Dialogue
2011 Assisted actors in preparing for Canadian premiere of Polish playwright Tadeusz Slobodzianek's play “Our Class”, Toronto, ON
2009 Participated in five-member panel presentation and discussion on Emotive Aspects of Polish-Jewish Relations, Lodzer Centre, Toronto, ON
2009 Interpreted for a group of Polish Righteous Gentiles and Holocaust survivors visiting Jewish school and nursing home in Toronto with Poland's secretary of state Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka and director of development for the Jewish museum Ewa Wierzynska, Toronto, ON
2007 Provided simultaneous interpretation at the University of Toronto’s lecture of Prof. Romuald J. Weksler-Waszkinel (Catholic University of Lublin, Poland) – a Catholic priest of Jewish origin and Holocaust survivor saved by a Polish family, Toronto, ON
2007 Provided simultaneous interpretation at the University of Toronto lecture on Righteous among Nations by Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka, Undersecretary of State in the Office of the President of Poland.
2006 Co-organized the 2006 Holocaust Education Week's program “Polish-Jewish Relations in Post-Communist Poland: Old Bigotries, New Attitudes” by Andrew Rajcher from Australia (in collaboration with the Polish-Jewish Heritage Foundation)
2005 Participated in three-member panel presentation and discussion on Polish-Jewish Relations at Lodzer Centre, Toronto , ON
2002-2004 Co-organized film screenings “Jewish Issues in Polish Film” with Polish-Jewish Heritage Foundation, including the premiere screening of Roman Polanski's “The Pianist” (co-hosted the screening), Toronto, ON
2004 Spoke on behalf of Polish-Canadian community at the inauguration of the internationally renowned photo exhibit “And I Still See Their Faces,” BCE Place, Toronto, ON
2004 Spoke at event celebrating the life and writing of Polish-Jewish writer and academic Symcha Symchowitz
Community Volunteer Work
2006- Promoted annual charity campaign in Canada for the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity in Poland
2003- Organized activities for children at the annual International Children's Day Cruise on Lake Ontario, Toronto, ON
2002- Provided language consulting, proofreading and editing advice in Polish and English to individuals and organizations
2004 Co-organized charity concert to raise money for survivors of the tsunami in Koh Phi Phi, Thailand.
1999-2004 Promoted charity campaign “Save A Life” run by Dr. Jadwiga Wojtczak of the Charitable Foundation of the Canadian Polish Congress to diagnose and treat sick children from the former Soviet Union in Polish hospitals
2002 Designed, organized, and ran campaign “Adopt a Polish family in Georgia” to help Polish families in the former Soviet Union
2002 During World Youth Day in Toronto organized accommodation in Toronto families of a group of pilgrims from Poland, Toronto, ON
2000-2001 Organized and promoted campaign to support the Sklarzyk family, a Polish family deported to Poland from Canada
2000 Co-organized and co-hosted the Canadian Polish Congress conference “Polonia in the New Millennium”
1998 Organized Polish contingent to participate in building the Adventure Playground in High Park, Toronto, ON
MEDIA APPEARANCES
Television and Radio
2011 Interview about Polonium online initiative, OMNI TV
2010 Live program on Smolensk plane crash, CTV
2010 Interview about Smolensk plane crash, CBC TV
2010 Interview about Ron Davis, a Canadian musician influenced by Polish musical tradition, CBC TV “Tapestries”
2009- Weekly commentaries, Radio Bis, Hamilton, ON
2009- Occasional commentaries (Polish and English) on Canadian issues, CJAM Radio, Windsor, ON
2000-2010 Multiple interviews on Polish-Canadian cultural issues and community initiatives, OMNI TV
2000-2010 Multiple panel discussions on Canadian issues, OMNI TV
2007 Interview about the Dziekanski case, CBC TV
2007 Live reporting for Polish television on Queen's Park demonstrations surrounding the Dziekanski case, TVN
2005 Interview the about Solidarity movement – an hour-long phone-in TV program “25th Anniversary of Solidarity in Poland”, Rogers Cable 10 (Daytime Peel)
2005 Interview about Pope John Paul II, CBC TV
2003 Interview about Polish Christmas Traditions, Canada AM
2003 Interview about the Toronto Polish Film Festival, CBC Radio
Press
1997-2005 Interviews with Polish-Canadian and Canadian press about Polish film festivals, Polish film screenings, Solidarity exhibits, and other cultural events
2004 Letter of the Day and debate with Michael Coren, Toronto Sun
OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
1985-1990 Conducted examinations of the finalists in the national English Language Olympiad, University of Warsaw, Poland
1983-1990 Designed and supervised entrance examinations at the Department of English, University of Warsaw, Poland
1982-1990 Organized and supervised the annual Summer School for the faculty of English departments at Polish universities.