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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