Community Identity   Community, National  and International Outreach

by Adriana Albi Davies, Ph.D.

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The Prime Minister noted that he would be making a formal apology in the House of Commons. According to the Congress, nearly 700 Italians were interned. The article further notes:

In his address the Prime Minister referred to two internees by name, one who was a young shoemaker at the beginning of the war and the other, Dr. Julius Molinari, who is now Professor Emeritus of the Italian Department at the University of Toronto. Dr. Molinari told me that his father came to Canada in 1913 and his mother in 1917; he himself was born in Canada.¹

The effect of this was that the national media, for the first time, reported on this issue and this hitherto unknown aspect of the Italian community's history was communicated to all Canadians. Some were disappointed because the issue of reparations had been ignored but, for the rest, it was felt that a moral victory had been won. The subject has also inspired some literary works including the recently-published book Down the Coaltown Road by Sheldon Currie.  The book animates the impact on a small Cape Breton mining community of the internment of local miners of Italian descent. ²

At the provincial and national level, individuals, such as Sabatino Roncucci, were instrumental in helping to shape government policy on multiculturalism. Beginning as a member of the local United Nations Club, Mr. Roncucci became an advocate for human rights and the acknowledgement of cultural traditions from the homeland. On an annual basis, he organized workshops on themes such as "Growing up in a multicultural society." The National Congress of Italian-Canadians, under President Adriana Albi Davies, supported him in these initiatives. For example, in May, 1989, the Congress organized a forum on the above theme for the Dante Alighieri Society, the Junior Appennini Dancers and Il Congresso with funding support form the Secretary of State for Canada. As well, Il Congresso newspaper provided a vehicle for communicating these ideas to the Italian community at large. Mr. Roncucci did this through his regular columns in Il Congresso as well as dedicated issues such as those developed to celebrate the Heritage Days Festival, the last weekend in July/first weekend of August in Edmonton. Carlo Amodio also served on the Premier's Heritage Council.  A generation of community leaders forged strong alliances with other ethnocultural communities to further their common ideals for a more inclusive Canada.

The relationship with the Government of Italy must be also be discussed.  In the Fascist era, consular agents and even honorary consuls saw immigrants as "Italians abroad" and, therefore, as citizens of Italy, and actively courted them. However, in the process of acculturation and assimilation, the loyalty shifts from the homeland to the host country. This certainly has happened with Edmonton's Italian community. Edmonton has had a series of consular agents including Pietro Colbertaldo, Victor Losa, Salvatore and Luigi Biamonte, Angelo Biasutto and Peter Caffaro. When interviewed in the early 1970s, Mr. Losa, because of his connection with Fascism during the War, was at pains to point out his commitment to Canada.  Ultimately, the Government of Italy came to realize the importance of Alberta as a market for Italian goods and Mr. Justice Peter Caffaro was the last honorary consul. Giovanni Bincoletto was the first Vice Consul sent from Italy to Edmonton and he came with trade-attache experience and actively promoted Italian products-food stuffs and wines. This helped to spur a whole new era of Italian community influence in Canadian life.

Mr. Bincoletto's successor, Giuseppe Imbalzano, had been involved in the organization of the Second Rome Conference on Immigration around the theme Gli Italiani all'Estero [Italians Abroad]. The policy was intended to promote re-acquisition of citizenship by people of Italian ancestry living abroad, and the vote in Italian elections. Outgoing Vice-Consul Mr. Bincoletto appointed National Congress of Italian-Canadians, Edmonton District, President Adriana Albi Davies as the Alberta representative at the conference. The conference took place from November 28 to December 3, 1988 and participants totaled 2,239 with just over 1000 delegates. The Canadian delegation met with the American delegation in New York (June) and alone in Toronto (November). The discussions, on a range of themes (culture, language retention, political rights, pensions, etc.), was heated. It was complicated both by Italian party political differences and Canadian regional differences. The Italian contingent eventually compromised on all themes except the most potentially divisive: the establishment of the COEMIT (Comitati Emigrazione Italiani/Committees of Italian Immigration). The reason that the Congress rejected the COEMIT was that the leadership believed that Italian-Canadian societies could run their own affairs and did not need direction from Italy. The proposed policy with respect to the re-acquisition of Italian citizenship became law and many Albertans of Italian descent have done this and will be voting in the next elections in 2003. As well, consular committees have been established titled ComItEs [an acronym for Committees of Italians Abroad].

For additional information on societies, please go to the Lifeways, Cultural Life section, which includes societies, the arts, customs and traditions, festivals, religious life, learning, etc.

Related Links

• Il Congresso article:  Il Congresso Nazionale degli Italo-Canadesi Regione di Edmonton
  This article relates the history of the National Congress of Italian-Canadians, District of Edmonton, from its inception in 1978, including its objectives, purpose and relevance in the Italian community.
  
  
• Il Congresso article:  Edmonton District Congress Hosts National Executive
  The national executive of the National Congress of Italian- Canadians chose Edmonton as the site of its recent meeting. May 29th to 31st. The policy of holding meetings at various locations across the country is intended to bring national and regional Congresses together for the sharing of information on a variety of issues that will have an impact on Italian Canadians.
  
  
• Il Congresso article:  Messaggio della Presidentessa del C.N.I.C. di Edmonton
  This article is a message from the newly elected President of the National Congress of Ital-Canadians, Fausta Marazzo.
  
  
• Il Congresso article:  "Heritage Festival" Un Monumento Alla Liberta Culturale e al Volontarismo      Short history of Heritage Days.
  
  
• Il Congresso article:  Un Po di Storia Del Multiculturalism
  History of Multiculturalism: from the Royal Commission of Prime Minister Lester Pearson to the creation of Heritage Days in Alberta.
  
  
• Il Congresso article:  Heritage Days- 1986 Committment !!!
  The tenth anniversary of the Heritage Festival was a tremendous success with over 44 different ethnic groups represented on those two days of the world fair in this fine City of Edmonton where understanding and tolerance is at its best.
   
• Il Congresso article:  To the Italian Community
  An article about the Italian Eritrea Relief Fund.
   
• Il Congresso article:  Reflections on the Second Rome Conference
  The Italian government does not do things by halves. The Second Rome Conference on Immigration, November 28 to December 3, was a massive undertaking by any stretch of the imagination.
   
• Il Congresso article:  New York/Preconferenza e novità in emigrazione
  This article deals with a conference on emigration in New York, with the participation of the Italian Minister of External Affair Giulio Andreotti and the Italian Minister of Labour Rino Formica. At this conference, issues related to emigration, old and new, are discussed.
   
• Il Congresso article:  Conclusa a Roma la 2^ Conferenza Nazionale
  This article features the conclusion of the National Conference on Emigration, from which came a significant statement: "the Italian communities in the world are considered a strategic resource that has to be recognized and valued even in the internal and external affairs of the country".
   
• Il Congresso article:  La Doppia Cittadinanza
  A new law for the children of Italian parents to preserve their Italian citizenship.
   
• Il Congresso article:  Documento finale della Conferenza
  This article is about the Final document of the National Conference on Emigration.  Final proposals on: the rights of Italian emigrants, social integration, on the particular status of emigrant woman, education, culture, TV radio, the right to vote, the COEMIT, and the reconstruction of consulates.
   
• Il Congresso article:  Italiani registratevi!
  This article is a letter from the Vice Consul Giovanni Bincoletto to let Italian communities outside of Italy know about the new laws pertaining to them.

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