Kaszuby is the cultural region within the Township of Madawaska Valley, centered around Wilno and stretching toward Barry’s Bay and Combermere. Settled in 1858 by Kashubian immigrants from northern Poland, it became Canada’s first Polish settlement and remains a vibrant ethnic community. Originally focused on subsistence farming and logging, the area evolved into a hub of Polish-Canadian culture with traditions, language, and faith kept alive through churches, scout camps, and annual events.

The settlement pattern reflects rugged highland terrain—forests, lakes, and rolling hills required concession grids to adapt to natural constraints. Early land surveys overlaid Polish homesteads and small farms onto Crown lots, often deviating around wetlands and rock outcrops. The lack of central industry led to dispersed communities along roads and shorelines rather than a defined village core.

From a surveyor’s standpoint, Kaszuby involves tracing Crown patents, homestead grants, and parish parcel records. The overlay of Polish cultural landscapes—chapels, community halls, and scout camps—adds complexity to modern titulary, especially where recreational lots and cottage subdivisions have been introduced. Survey retracement here requires a blend of historical maps, religious property documents, and topographic field verification.