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2000

Edmonton-based classical accordion player, Antonio Peruch is an internationally-renowned artist, concerto soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, lecturer, composer and arranger, who studied at the University of Alberta with Violet Archer and Malcolm Forsyth. His awards include Italy’s Orpheus recording award for Homage to Tango: The Music of Daniel Binelli CD; this was recorded in Cuba with the Camerata Romeu string orchestra. In Canada, his Logos Futura CD of Canadian concertos for classical accordion and orchestra that he commissioned, was nominated for a Juno Award and a Western Canadian Music Award. He has performed internationally including with the Vaughn String Quartet in Edmonton. One of the world’s most innovative, knowledgeable, and captivating concert accordionists, he pursues his vision of the accordion as an exciting, highly expressive classical concert instrument—in the recording studio, the teaching studio, and in the concert hall. He has performed before enthusiastic audiences in Canada, the USA, Italy, Mexico, and Cuba. He also translated Astor Piazzolla: The Father of the New Tango from the original Italian book by Dr. Paolo Picchio (published in 2023 by Edizioni Curci publishers of Milan). He was awarded the Star of Italy by the Government of Italy in 2000 for his contribution to the arts and culture and currently teaches in the Music Division, School of Creative and Performing Arts, University of Calgary. The specific words of recognition are as follows: “In riconoscimento per aver conservato la propria identità italo-veneta-trevisana favorendo l’aggregazione dei nostri emigranti e promuovendo la propria cultura attraverso la prestigiosa arte musicale, di cui gli italiani nel mondo vanno fieri.”

2002

The Heritage Community Foundation in partnership with the National Congress of Italian-Canadians, Edmonton District, created the Celebrating Alberta’s Italian Community Website as part of the Alberta Online Encyclopedia. The website was developed by the Heritage Community Foundation in partnership with the National Congress of Italian-Canadians, Edmonton District in 2002. It is one of the 84 multimedia website comprising the Alberta Online Encyclopedia (www.albertasource.ca). When the Foundation ceased operations on June 30, 2009, the Encyclopedia was gifted to the University of Alberta. The NCIC has obtained the rights for this website and its rich historical and educational content will be made available from time to time in the next year. The website was developed by Adriana A. Davies, Executive Director of the Heritage Community Foundation and the Editor-in-Chief of the Alberta Online Encyclopedia and her staff. Italian community volunteers contributed information including Milena Alzetta; Carlo and Lina Amodio; E. R. and Rita Cavaliere; Maria Caria Mauro; Father Augusto Feccia, Santa Maria Goretti Church; Frattin family; Sabatino Roncucci and the Dante Alighieri Society; the Saccomanno family; Alessandro and Lina Urso; and many others who contributed their oral histories as well as family photographs.

2003

Well-known radio broadcaster Leopoldo Sorgiovanni for many years was the voice of Edmonton’s Italian community on various radio programs. Leo contributed enormously to the popularity of CKER-FM (later 101.07 AM) launched in 1980 as the voice of Edmonton’s multicultural community. The station produced programs in more than 20 languages and eventually became World FM. They opened an office on Gateway Boulevard where Leo and colleagues and hosts Juan Caroca, Frank Zalewski, and Anne Korenic dominated the airwaves and connected home-sick immigrants with their homelands, and also got to know about Edmonton and Canada. His contributions were recognized by the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers with their RISE (Recognizing Immigrant Success in Edmonton) Award. Leo promoted community events as well as informing his large audience about activities both in Italy and Italian communities across the country. He also played the popular music of Italy and kept cultural ties alive between his country of birth nd country of adoption. One of his fondest memories as founder of the Ciao Italia program was interviewing Sofia Loren when she visited Edmonton in the 1990s. The Government of Italy recognized his services and awarded him the Cavaliere d’Italia in 2003.

April 2005

Arnaldo Minuti, Consul of Italy in Edmonton approached Adriana A. Davies, Executive Director of the Heritage Community Foundation with respect to a commemorative project for Alberta’s centenary. Adriana suggested a travelling exhibit on the theme of “Alberta’s Italian Community.” With Ron Ulrich, Executive Director of The Galt Museum in Lethbridge, she developed a storyline, text and images for Italian settlement in Alberta from 1880 onwards. The exhibit titled Alberta’s Italian Communities comprised three-modules (six-panels) travelling exhibit titled Alberta’s Italian Communities. Ultimately, the panels were gifted to the Ital-Canadian Seniors Association and became the basis of the Alberta Italian Museum housed in their Centre and opened in 2009.

2005

The Alberta Online Encyclopedia, created by the Heritage Community Foundation becomes the official Centennial Project for the Government of Alberta.

2006

Luciana DeSantis obtained a Teaching Degree in Home Economics in San Bernardino, Aquila, Italy and arrived in Edmonton in 1957 to join her husband Mario. She worked in tailor shops until her retirement. A “super volunteer” in Edmonton’s Italian community, she has been involved in many societies as both a member and executive. These include Le Donne del Santo Rosario and Santa Maria Goretti Parish Council; Italian radio and TV programs; Society Abruzzesi Club; the Sanniti Club; the Ital-Canadian Seniors Association; the COM-IT-ES (Comitato Italiano All’Estero); and the Armonia Dancers. She has raised funds for various organizations as well as for victims of the San Giuliano di Puglie earthquake in 2002. In July 2006, she was awarded the Star of Italy (an Italian knighthood) by the Government of Italy.

2007

Carlo Amodio, a founder of the National Congress of Italian Canadians, Edmonton District and of Il Congresso newspaper was awarded a Cavaliere d’Italia (Italian Knighthood) in 2007 by Arnaldo Minuti, Consul of Italy in Alberta. Carlo was born in Naples and graduated in 1965 with a diploma in land surveying. He came to Edmonton in 1967, continued his studies and became a real estate appraiser working initially for the City of Edmonton and, later for the Government of Alberta. In 2012, he was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for volunteer service. In all of his activities, he was supported by his wife Lina, who also wrote for Il Congresso and translated articles for the Celebrating Alberta’s Italian Community website. Photo courtesy of E. R. Cavaliere.

August 2007

The grand opening of the People of the Coal Mines: The Italian Community exhibit at the Ital-Canadian Seniors Centre in Edmonton in August 2007. Front row l-r: Gina Principe; Consul of Italy Arnaldo Minuti; Adriana Davies; and Luciana de Santis; back row l-r: Maria Mauro, Ital-Canadian Seniors’ Association President; Edmonton City Councillor Tony Caterina and Carlo Amodio, President, National Congress of Italian-Canadians, Edmonton District. The exhibit was curated by Adriana Davies and developed by Ron Ulrich, Executive Director, Galt Museum, Lethbridge, in 2005, as part of the Year of the Coal Miner, a heritage initiative funded by the Cultural Capital of Canada program. Photo courtesy of E. R. Cavaliere.

October 2007

Artist Giuseppe Albi in front of the sculpture commissioned by the National Congress of Italian Canadians, Edmonton District, to celebrate Alberta’s centenary in 2005. At the base of the classical column are casts of tools and musical instruments used by Italian immigrants. An open competition was held and the adjudicating committee was headed by Tony Luppino, Executive Director, Art Gallery of Alberta. The jury recommended that the commission go to Albi, a well-established, Italian-born artist who was one of the founders of the Latitude 53 artist-run gallery. Founded in 1973 by a collective of Edmonton artists, Latitude 53 is one of Canada’s oldest artist-run centres dedicated to supporting artists. Giuseppe also served on the Board of the Alberta Art Foundation. The unveiling ceremony took place on the grounds of the Alberta Legislature in Edmonton in 2007. Photos courtesy of E. R. Cavaliere.

2008

Educator Tony Falcone, who was the first teacher at the Dante Alighieri Italian Language School in Edmonton and who was instrumental in developing curriculum for the introduction of Italian into the Alberta Program of Studies, is awarded a Cavaliere d’Italia (knighthood) by Arnaldo Minuti, Consul of Italy in Alberta, 2008. Tony spent the majority of his career at O’Leary High School until his retirement in 1999. He became the first teacher of the Italian language at the Dante Alighieri School and was instrumental, with Tony Caria, in initiating teaching of Italian in the Catholic School System in Edmonton and, eventually, provincially. Photo courtesy of E. R. Cavaliere.

January 2009

Sabatino Roncucci emigrated to Canada from Italy with his wife Elena and daughter Cristina in the post-war wave of immigration in the 1950s and became an established figure in the Edmonton’s Italian community. A professional tailor, he taught at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, but a major portion of his time was spent in volunteering and activities that served the Italian and greater community. Sabatino was a founder of the Dante Alighieri Society and the Italian language school in Edmonton as well as the Northern Alberta Heritage Languages Association. He was one of the group who fought for Italian to be taught as a second language in Alberta classrooms. He was also a founder of the Edmonton Heritage Days Festival as well as the Junior Appennini Dancers for whom he choreographed Italian folk dances from various regions of Italy. In all of these activities, he was assisted by Elena.

June 2009

The Heritage Community Foundation ceases operations and the Alberta Online Encyclopedia was gifted to the University of Alberta with the understanding that it will keep the sites in perpetuity for the use of Albertans, Canadian and users of the World Wide Web.

2009

Terry Antonello is a well-established, Edmonton-based lawyer who currently practices with Biamonte Law. His specialties include Aboriginal issues; banking and commercial lending; corporate and real estate; and Italian law. He has served as the legal counsel for the Government of Italy in Western Canada for many years and has been an active member of the community and volunteered for various organizations. He was awarded the Star of Italy (Italian knighthood) for his services to the Italian Republic.

December 2009

The opening of the Alberta Italian Museum in the Ital-Canadian Seniors Centre in Edmonton took place on October 29, 2009. The Idea of a museum to celebrate the contributions and achievements of people of Italian ancestry had been the dream of many community leaders for over 20 years. The dream came closer to reality in 2007, when Adriana (Albi) Davies, Executive Director of the Heritage Community Foundation, informed Maria Mauro, President of the Ital-Canadian Seniors Association, that 11 historical modules (22 panels in total) telling the story of the People of the Coal Mines: The Italian Community were being “retired” by the Galt Museum for whom she had developed the traveling exhibit.

The Galt wanted $2,000 for transportation costs; Maria immediately began to explore ways for the Association to acquire the panels. With the approval of the Board of Directors, she asked Dr. Arnaldo Minuti, Consul of Italy in Edmonton, if his office could assist with the purchase of the panels. Through the generosity of the Italian Government, the panels were purchased and donated to the Association. In addition, the Heritage Community Foundation donated a three-module (six-panel) travelling exhibit titled Alberta’s Italian Communities. This project had been developed by Adriana with funding support from the Consulate as their Alberta Centennial project to commemorate the contributions of Italian immigrants. The total worth of the research, design and fabrication of these traveling exhibits was about $60,000. For a time, the panels were displayed in the recreation area of the Drop-In Centre, but this was found to be inconvenient and the Board believed that the panels did not get the attention they deserved.

Thus, the idea of creating a museum within the Seniors Centre was born. Joe Mauro, Maria’s husband and a member, suggested building a mezzanine above a portion of the bocce courts to accommodate the Museum. The Board of Directors approved the project and the work began. Luigi Zorzetto, an experienced construction project supervisor, agreed to help with the planning and construction. Structural engineer Frank Cavaliere, BSc, PEng (an associate with the firm of Read, Jones, Christofferson Consulting Engineers) volunteered his services as structural consultant. Volunteers carried out 35 percent of the work and the remainder was accomplished by individuals working for minimum wages. A grant from the Alberta Lottery Fund contributed 50 percent of the construction costs with the remainder being contributed by the Association and other donors.

Work began in August 2008 and was completed in October 2009. The official launch took place at 3 pm on Thursday, October 29, 2009 with Mayor Stephen Mandel, City Councillor Tony Caterina, MLA Hugh Macdonald, Italian Consul General Francesco de Conno, and members of Edmonton and Calgary’s Italian community in attendance. In the period of a year (roughly from September 2008 to October 2009), the Board and volunteers of the Association actively collected artifacts for the one gallery that would comprise the Museum. These were largely donated by Association members. The intention was to provide an overview of Italian life and culture through a range of mostly domestic artifacts and memorabilia. Exhibit panels tell the story and labels identify the donor and the nature of the artifact.

December 2009

The management team of Il Congresso: Rudy Cavaliere, Carlo Amodio and Alessandro Urso at Heritage Days in 2009. The article, in the last issue, December 2009, notes, “É stato un piacere” (“It was a pleasure!”). The paper documented Alberta’s Italian community and connected Italian-Canadians with issues in Italy for 25 years. Popular columnists included Sabatino Roncucci, who wrote about provincial and federal policies with respect to education and culture and was a champion of multiculturalism; the mysterious “Il Gattopardo,” who discussed a range of issues with wit and humour (it later turned out that this was Italian Vice Consul Giovanni Bincoletto); Frank Albi, an academic and writer based in the US who dealt with complex international issues; and Adriana (Albi) Davies who in her “Bookworm” column reviewed books in particular those by Italian-Canadian writers. Image courtesy of Il Congresso

2009

Edmonton author Caterina Edwards’ book titled Finding Rosa: A Mother with Alzheimer’s/A Daughter in Search of the past wins the Wilfred Eggleston Award for Nonfiction for 2009, and, in 2020 two additional awards: Today’s Best Nonfiction: Encounters from Reader’s Digest and the Biennual Bressani Prize for Nonfiction. Caterina's fiction explores the complexities of the immigrant experience and it has been noted that "she writes from and about the borderlands: those crossroads where multiple selves and cultures meet or collide. Each book is different, but she is obsessed with the silencing of personal testimony and the denial and falsification of history."

2010

Adriana A. Davies was awarded the Order of Canada on May 6, 2010 and was invested on November 17 at Rideau Hall in Ottawa by Governor General David Johnson. The following tribute was paid to her: “For decades, Adriana Davies has championed Alberta's heritage. As executive director of the Alberta Museums Association, she was instrumental in developing a framework, now modelled nationally, that enables museums to measure performance, plan for the future and strive for excellence. Through her contributions to the Alberta Online Encyclopedia, the Virtual Museum of Canada and the Canadian Culture Online Program, she has helped to make our nation's historical, natural, cultural and scientific heritage more accessible to the general public. As a volunteer, she continues to support cultural and heritage organizations provincially and nationally.”

2010

In 2010, the Columbus Centre in Toronto initiated a research project intended to “acknowledge and commemorate the experience of Italian Canadians during World War II.” This was following up on a campaign in the 1990s to obtain an apology from the Government of Canada for the enemy alien designation ant internment of Italian-Canadians during the Second World War. The NCIC was successful in obtaining an apology from Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and this occurred at a luncheon in Concord, a Toronto suburb, on November 4, 1990 attended by 500 members and guests. This event was the highlight of the biennial meeting of the NCIC. There were a number of members of the Italian community who wanted more than an apology; they wanted compensation. For them, the issue continued to be a sore point.

The project received funding support from the Community Historical Recognition Program, Citizenship and Immigration Canada. An Advisory Committee was struck including both academic and popular historians from across the country; research staff and contractors were hired to undertake new research including oral histories with descendants. There were four project deliverables: an educational website (Italian Canadians as Enemy Aliens: Memories of World War II); a permanent exhibit at the Columbus Centre and a travelling version; an anthology titled Beyond Barbed Wire: Essays on the Internment of Italian Canadians; and a monument by artist Harley Valentine located at the Columbus Centre. The statue includes three images: a grandfather, pregnant mother and a child representing the generations. Archival material gathered is held at the Centre. As a result of the research, it was determined that about 31,000 Italian-Canadians were designated as enemy aliens and about 600 were interned. Adriana A. Davies was the prairie representative on this project and identified six internees in Alberta.

2011

Dante Alighieri Society fiftieth anniversary celebrations at the Italian Cultural Centre, Edmonton, 2011; l-r: Reny Clericuzio; Elena Roncucci; Aritistide Melchionna, principal; and long-time teacher Dolores Antonello. The Dante is Edmonton's oldest Italian society and its school has helped the children and grandchildren of Italian-Canadians to retain their native language and also appreciate Italian history, culture and traditions. Principals of the Dante language school have included Antonella Ciancibello, Reny Clericuzzio and Aristide Melchionna. In 1962, teaching of Italian language and literature at the University of Alberta began under Dr. Enrico Musacchio (part of Romance Languages in the Faculty of Arts) and continued under Dr. Massimo Verdicchio. Photo courtesy of E. R. Cavaliere.

2012

E. R. (Rudy) Cavaliere was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his years of service as a volunteer not only in the Italian community of Edmonton but also Santa Maria Goretti Parish. Particular reference is made to his years of service (as well as being a founder) of the Italian Pavilion at the Heritage Days Festival and also the Il Congresso Italian newspaper. Alberta Lieutenant-Governor Donald Ethell and MP Edmonton Centre Riding Laurie Hawn with Rudy at the medal presentation ceremony in Edmonton. Rudy, a math and science specialist, was one of the first teachers in Edmonton to embrace computers in education. St. Mark’s School purchased an Atari computer and Rudy re-wrote the program so that student records could be entered. From 1983 to 1985, he was the first Computer Literacy Facilitator with the Edmonton Catholic School District. This knowledge and experience became useful for the Il Congresso newspaper and Rudy used Aldus Pagemaker, beginning in 1985, to do page layout on a Mac computer. He co-founded the National Congress of Italian Canadians, Edmonton District; the Junior Appennini Dancers; and a range of other organizations. He served on the building committee of the Santa Maria Goretti Community Centre and as president, as well as doing a range of work for the parish. Rudy was also the “go to” guy when any club needed a program or brochure designed.

February 2017

For Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations in 2017, the Calgary Opera Company chose to feature the opera Filumena, which it had co-commissioned with the Banff Centre. It was performed on February 4th, 8th and 10th. Composed by John Estacio with a libretto by John Murrell, the two-act opera is sung in Italian and English, and tells of a bootlegging expedition gone wrong in the Crowsnest Pass area. It had its premiere on February 1, 2003 in the Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary and it was showcased on April 28 and 30, 2005, at the National Arts Centre for Alberta’s centenary. COC notes: “Since its world première in 2003, Filumena has become the most-produced grand Canadian opera.” At the heart of it are the Italian coal mining communities of Blairmore and Canmore who, because of their opposition to Prohibition, passed in Alberta in 1916, became centres of bootlegging. The most powerful individual was Emilio Picariello, a prominent businessman who saw it as an opportunity to make a profit. While many individuals from a range of ethnic backgrounds had backwoods stills, a few individuals, mostly of British descent, dominated the trade and had large liquor warehouses in Fernie, BC. The BC government’s rejection of Prohibition in 1921 meant that it was legal to buy liquor there but, illegal, to transport it to Alberta and the Pacific Northwest where Prohibition still reigned.

The opera offers a fictionalized account of an actual liquor run undertaken by Emilio on September 21, 1922 and which was a set up by a rival bootlegger, who collaborated with the RCMP and local police to entrap the “upstart” Italian and take him down. Emilio purchased liquor in Fernie and arrived at his hotel in Blairmore with his convey of cars, one driven by his 17-year-old son Stephen and another by his mechanic. The police were waiting and challenged them; Emilio signalled to Steven, who was carrying the load to return to BC. As he was driving through Canmore, the local Alberta Provincial Police Officer, Stephen Lawson, was waiting and shot at him hitting him in the hand. Stephen escaped to BC.

Later that evening Emilio went to see Lawson and he was accompanied by his best friend’s wife Filumena Lassandro. An argument ensued and Lawson was fatally injured. The arrest of Emilio and Filumena, who were jointly tried, led to murder convictions and their hanging. The exhibit that I curated for the Fernie Museum in 2015 titled The Rise and Fall of Emilio Picariello, and the accompanying book of the same title, challenges the conviction and proves their innocence. The exhibit was brought to Calgary’s Jubilee Auditorium for the 150th anniversary celebration and was seen by the sold out audiences. I presented the evidence to judges, lawyers and guests as the keynote speaker at the Legal Archives Society of Alberta first Annual Fundraising Dinner at the Galt Museum, Lethbridge, on April 13, 2023.

July 2017

Long-time National Congress of Italian-Canadians, Edmonton District Treasurer, Peter Bruno became President of H&R Block Canada beginning July 1, 2017. The press release noted: “Peter has been with H&R Block for 33 years, starting as a tax pro. In his time here, Peter has been regarded as an operations guru, so it is with no great surprise that he be best suited to lead the company.”

October 2021

Sam Amelio, former NCIC Edmonton District president attended law school at the University of Alberta and has practiced for over 40 years in the area of banking and finance and wills. He was appointed to the 2021-2022 national board of directors of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) Canada.

May 2021

Zoom launch of Adriana A. Davies’ From Sojourners to Citizens: Alberta’s Italian History co-hosted by the Royal Alberta Museum and the Edmonton Heritage Council.RAM was represented by the Friends of the Royal Alberta Museum President Ravi Rupnarain and the Edmonton Heritage Council by David Ridley, Executive Director. His Excellency Dr. Fabio Messineo, Consul General of Italy Vancouver, brought greetings from the Government of Italy. The book was the recipient of the Edmonton Heritage Council Heritage Writers Reserve Award. "From Sojourners to Citizens: Alberta's Italian History" places Italian immigrants in the narrative of province building from work on railways, mines and other industries to breaking the land for agriculture. Oral history excerpts allow the men, women and children to speak for themselves. What emerges is an unquenchable desire to make good, and overcome intolerable working conditions and discrimination, which culminated with enemy alien designation and internment during the Second World War. The book also provides an exploration of the impact of the Government of Canada’s multicultural policy on the process of assimilation for the post-war influx of immigrants. It offers a prototype of an immigrant community’s movement from marginalization to the mainstream. In 2020, Adriana Davies was the inaugural recipient of the Edmonton Heritage Council Heritage Writers’ Reserve Award. To learn more about "From Sojourners to Citizens: Alberta’s Italian History" and to purchase a copy, visit.

November 2022

Luigi Zorzetto and Teresa Spinelli Awarded Star of Italy

Luigi Zorzetto and Teresa Spinelli became members of the Ordine della Stella d’Italia Onorificenza di Cavaliere. The Order of the Star of Italy is similar to the Order of Canada. The awards were conferred by H. E. Andrea Ferrari, Ambassador of Italy to Canada, on his first official visit to Alberta, at a ceremony at the Italian Cultural Centre. Zorzetto received his award for his volunteer service in the Italian community and Spinelli for her work in promoting Italian foodstuffs and gastronomy.

Luigi Zorzetto was born in Venice and studied Industrial Chemical Engineering at the University of Padua and Marghera. On completing his studies, he worked for Giuseppe Baraldi Construction in Venice and, in 1954, married Mara Enrica Baraldi. In 1956, he came to Edmonton and his family joined him in 1958. He found work with Batoni- Bowlen Construction, and moved from the position of manager to senior vice president. Besides Batoni and Bowlen, he worked for Clark Lumber, Alberta Oxygen & CG Oxygen, Kanuka Construction, Parkins Construction and, since 1986, for the Triple 5 Corporation that built and operates West Edmonton Mall and Mall of the Americas in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Luigi has been an active volunteer in the Italian community and served as project manager for the renovation of the Santa Maria Goretti Community Centre and Church.

Teresa, who took over the family business from her father Frank in the year 2000, has received many honours and awards for her entrepreneurship (she ranks in the top 100 women entrepreneurs in Canada) and is known for her philanthropy not only within the Italian community but also the community at large. She has been involved with the McCauley Boys and Girls Club, was a founding member of the Avenue of Nations business revitalization zone, and served as a member of the Boyle Renaissance Advisory Committee for the City of Edmonton. Spinelli has also led key renovations for Giovanni Caboto Park, across the street from the Italian Centre Shop in Little Italy.

June 2023

Giuseppe Albi was a featured artist at the Edmonton Works Festival and showcased his new “Digital Abstractions” art works at the Stantec Tower in Edmonton. He describes these innovative works as follows: "Since I was not in line for an exhibit for a few years, I decided to explore the world of video to capture the movement of light and colour. I purchased a camera with 360-degree capabilities and started making digital abstractions. Although they have been compared to NFTs, they are, however, made in the spirit of traditional visual art. In the early 19th century, when visual artists began to work with the camera, they would often assemble still life compositions to photograph. The still life would be dismantled, leaving the photograph as the original work of art. An assortment of objects and materials - some handmade - are used to make these videos. Some components are re-used in other videos – much as previously mixed paint is used in other paintings. The videos can be viewed on a variety of digital display devices, which offers the viewer unique interface possibilities, i.e., looping the video, pausing individual frames and varying the playback speed."

June 2024

The National Congress of Italian Canadians (NCIC) proudly announces a triumphant fusion of heritage and innovation as it commemorates its 50th anniversary through a spectacular cross-country train adventure and the launch of italcanheritage.ca, a revolutionary website uniting Italian community associations from coast to coast. The centerpiece of the 50th-anniversary festivities is the "Italian Journey Across Canada," a breathtaking train odyssey that symbolizes the vibrant tapestry of Italian culture woven into the Canadian landscape. Starting in Vancouver, this unprecedented adventure will wind its way across the country, stopping at iconic locations to celebrate the contributions of Italian Canadians. The train adventure begins with a launch party January 11 in Vancouver followed by community activities at stops in Edmonton and Winnipeg and gala evenings in Toronto on June 14 and Montreal on June 15. The journey will culminate in Halifax on June 17 with a grand finale event at Pier 21. The train was greeted in Edmonton by NCIC Edmonton District President Paul Cavaliere.

September 2024

The Association of Italian-Canadian Writers Biennial Confence took place at York University and the Columbus Centre in Toronto. The conference theme was The Vine of Diaspora: Italian-Canadian Literary & Artistic Cultures. Prominent Edmonton writers, Adriana Davies, Caterina Edwards and Emma and Joe Pivato were among the presentors.

Caterina Edwards, when she published The Lion’s Mouth in 1982 became the first Italian-Canadian woman writer in Western Canada. She has taught creative writing at MacEwan University and the University of Alberta in Edmonton and Athabasca University. Her works, as she describes them, “are about the borderlands: those crossroads where multiple selves and cultures meet or collide.”

Adriana A. Davies is an immigration historian, art historian, curator and encyclopedist and writer of non-fiction and poetry. She is a recipient of the Order of Canada and the Italian Stella d’Italia, the Alberta Museums Association Life Time Achievement Award, Province of Alberta Centennial Medal, Global Woman of Vision Award and the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award in the Arts. She is the author of "From Sojourners to Citizens: Alberta’s Italian History"

Joe Pivato is a writer and academic who has worked tirelessly to get Italian-Canadian literature recognized not only in Canada but also in Italy. From 1977 to 2015 he was professor of Comparative Literature at Athabasca University and is now Professor Emeritus. He has been a visiting professor in Australian and Italian universities. He also co-ordinates the online resource.

Emma Pivato has worked as a psychologist with the Metropolitan Separate School Board in Toronto, the Edmonton Public School Board, Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Catholic Social Services and taught psychology in the MAIS program at Athabasca University for ten years. She has become known for her pioneering work in integrating children with disabilities within the school system based on first-had experience through raising her daughter Alexis. She is best known for works on disabled children and adults and for a series of mystery novels.

May 2024

Concordia University Edmonton Awards Teresa Spinelli Honorary Degree

At the Convocation ceremony for 2024 Concordia University Edmonton awarded Teresa Spinelli an Honorary degree for contributions to community and society. She has received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for Community Involvement, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in recognition of Contributions to Canada, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for Alberta, and the Ordine Della Stella D’Italia Onorificenza di Cavaliere Award (Order of the Star of Italy) from the Italian government.

June 2024

Adriana Davies travelled to Caetani House in Vernon to deliver a lecture on Sveva Caetani based on her upcoming book titled Sveva Caetani’s Recapitulation Series: From Medieval Mysticism to the Space Age.” The online magazine BC review published an article that she authored providing insight into Caetani’s life and work.

Adriana Davies “Sveva Caetani’s Recapitulation Series” – featured article in BC Review

September 2024

Adriana Davies presented a paper at the conference of AICW (the Association of Italian Canadian Writers) at York University and the Columbus Centre in Vancouver. It focused on the symbolism in her work.

“Symbolism in Sveva Caetani’s Recapitulation Series” – Featured article in Accenti Magazine

March 2025

Dante Alighieri Society of Edmonton Media Release:

This year 2025 marks a very important anniversary for Italian culture, history, and literature: the 760th  anniversary of Dante Alighieri’s birth. This means a time for celebration for us. Our friend, Italian concert pianist, Emilio de Mercato has planned a piano tour with stops in different Canadian cities, leading up to his sensational piano recital debut at the Carnegie Hall in New York in May. His program features a tribute to Dante Alighieri with a piece by Hungarian composer, Franz Liszt, titled Après une lecture du Dante, which is part of a series of compositions Liszt wrote during his trips to Italy (Années de pèlerinage, deuxième année: Italie). Emilio’s program will also include works by Robert Schumann (Scenes from Childhood), another work by Liszt (Sonetto del Petrarca No. 104), and the Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky.

We are happy to present Emilio’s piano recital in Edmonton on Saturday, March 15, 2025, at Holy Trinity Anglican Church at 7:30pm, and join Dante’s anniversary celebration with music, with the support of the National Congress of Italian-Canadians Edmonton District. You are kindly invited to attend this unique event and find your ticket ($25 + fees) on Eventbrite

March 2025

Celebrating Sveva Caetani: From Vernon to Italy and Back

The Consul General of Italy, Paolo Miraglia del Giudice visited Caetani House in Vernon, BC, the historic home of Italian-born artist Sveva Caetani, to meet with Executive Director Laisha Rosnau and special guests Chiara Ianeselli, curator, MAXXI Museum in Rome, and Adriana Davies, art historian and curator who has written a biography and catalogue raisonne of the work this important artist. The meeting involved discussions about her works travelling to Italy for a major exhibition; the publication of Adriana’s book titled “Sveva Caetani’s Recapitulation Series: From Medieval Mysticism to the Space Age”; and a future exhibit that would travel to various Canadian cities in 2026-2027.

March 2025

On March 24th, the new Italian Ambassador to Canada Alessandro Cattaneo visited Edmonton with Consul General Paolo Miraglia Del Giudice from Vancouver for meetings with Government of Alberta officials. They were greeted by Salma Lakhani, Lieutenant Governor and vice regal representative and briefly attended a session of the Alberta Legislative Assembly. This was followed by meetings with Premier Danielle Smith; Minister of Technology and Innovation Nate Glubish: and Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade Matt Jones. The team explored the possibility of growing partnerships between Italy and Alberta. The reception at the Italian Cultural Centre in the evening included representatives from various business and cultural entities including Teresa Spinelli, Italian Centre Shop Ltd companies; Dennis Prior, President, Italian Cultural Society; Paul Cavaliere, President of the National Congress of Italian-Canadians, Edmonton District; and Terry Antonello, partner at Biamonte Law and legal representative for the Métis Nation of Alberta. Also in attendance were a number of Italian professors and researchers from the University of Alberta including Dr. Giovanni Ferrara, Divisional Director of Pulmonary Medicine, Faculty of Medicine.

April 2025

President Paul Cavaliere launches the new National Congress of Italian-Canadians Edmonton website and thanked author and editor Adriana A. Davies and web developer Clifford Barnett.

In 2002, NCIC Edmonton partnered with the Heritage Community Foundation on the development of the Celebrating Alberta’s Italian Community website, which became part of the Alberta Online Encyclopedia. The website was developed by HCF Executive Director Davies and NCIC Edmonton contributed money, content and some translation expertise. The Il Congresso newspaper contributed a range of content made accessible via a searchable database. Community members contributed photographs and immigration stories.

We have now created an organizational website for NCICEdmonton.org and adapted and posted content from the Celebrating Alberta’s Italian Community website that by and large focuses on Edmonton. It’s a huge hit of content on Edmonton’s Italian community in Canada for the Worldwide Web. The “News” section includes some highlights from the past 20 plus years. Edmonton now has more content on the Web of any Italian community in Canada and, we suspect, abroad.

Some tributes:

Dear Prof. Davies,

Congratulations to you and President Cavaliere on this wonderful initiative, which highlights the important contribution of the Italo-Canadian community in Edmonton and, more broadly, in Alberta. The website is an excellent point of reference and a solid foundation, whose content can be further developed and enriched over time. Best regards.

Paolo Miraglia Del Giudice

Consul General, Vancouver

Adriana,

This is fantastic news! I’ve had a peek at the website and it looks wonderful; looking forward to seeing more. I will ask our secretary to put this out to our membership now, and perhaps we can chat more about it at this year’s fall conference as well. Congratulations to NCIC Edmonton!

Abril Liberatore, PhD, ICAP President and Mariano A. Elia Chair in Italian-Studies, York University

Hello Adriana,

Many thanks for apprising me of this. I took a good look at the site and it appears to have been quite an undertaking. It is important archival information to share among Itali-Cans, and all Canadians. Congratulations to all who worked on the project.

Domenic Cusmano, Publisher and co-founder ACCENTI Magazine

May 3, 2025

Edmonton Italian Speakers Meetup and Scuola Dante Alighieri Collaborative Event

Let’s Explore! Let’s go on an exploration with Dr. Joseph Pivato on what it means to be Italian-Canadian, with a special focus on cultural differences, often reflected in Italian-Canadian literature and other artistic works. You’ll be inspired to explore your connection to the local and broader Italian community, and whether you are Italian or not, you’ll discover more about the aforementioned, as well as get perspective on your own journey in self-discovery and identity.

This talk is a “first-of” collaboration, jointly hosted by Edmonton Italian Speakers Meetup and Scuola Dante Alighieri, and it will not only give potential meetup members a taste of the school, which teaches adults and youth Italian, but will give students an opportunity to learn about the conversational Italian opportunity offered by the meetup, hosted against cultural backdrops such as restaurants, cafes, galleries and other exciting spots.

Learn more about Dr. Joseph Pivato below via the Research Gate link that features some of his many articles and essays.

Joseph Pivato is Professor Emeritus, Literary Studies at Athabasca University, and has been visiting professor in Australian and Italian universities. At Athabasca he developed online courses in Canadian and Comparative Literatures, Literary Theory, Literature and Hypertext, Film and Literature, the Creative Writing Program, and the MA-IS in Literary Studies. He co-ordinates the online resource: canadian-writers.athabascau.ca

May 3, 2025

Urban Sketchers Visit Edmonton’s Little Italy

Saturday May 3 from 11 am to 1 pm: Sketch-walk in Little Italy led by Italian-Canadian historian Adriana Albi Davies. The sketch-walk will consist of 4 short sketches (about 15 minutes each at each location) and a 45 minute sketch at the last location. These will be outdoor sketching locations but alternative indoor sketching locations will be planned in case of inclement weather. Sketch sharing and lunch at 1:00 pm.

Marlena Wyman, Edmonton’s 5th Historian Laureate, organized a number of sketching expeditions to showcase the City’s historic buildings and urban streetscapes in 2023. The result was a physical exhibit at the historic Prince of Wales Armouries Building (from November 20, 2019 to December 2020) and a publication. The exhibit was described as follows:

This exhibit of sketches and stories focuses on Edmonton’s built heritage, but the history of our city did not begin with its buildings. Both our built environment and our land hold memory: strongly etched, layered, fragmented, or buried. Both represent identity and connection with Treaty 6 territory, not only for settler history, but for the much longer history of the Indigenous peoples and the land on which they live. While the economic and political pressures of colonial development have endangered Indigenous stories and traditions, they have also threatened the city’s architectural heritage and the stories they embody.

May 9, 2025

Emilio De Mercato makes his Weill Recital Hall debut performing Liszt’s “Après une lecture du Dante” on the 760th anniversary of the birth of the “Supreme Poet” Dante Alighieri and “Sonetto del Petrarca No. 104.” This transcendent diptych, closely relating to De Mercato’s Italian origins, is preceded by the treasured work titled Kinderszenen by Schumann, and followed by Mussorgsky’s monumental Pictures at an Exhibition.

June 22, 2025

Santa Maria Goretti Parish in Edmonton Celebrates 65+ Anniversary

Santa Maria Goretti Italian Parish is a 1,600 family, city-wide Roman Catholic Parish in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The parish was established in 1958 by first-generation Italian immigrants and now serves as a spiritual home for many subsequent generations of faithful descendants and their families. Father Roy Antony heads a group of community volunteers preparing an anniversary book as well as Santa Maria Goretti day festivities for this significant anniversary. Plan to attend the festival and buy the book.

August 3-4, 2025

The National Congress of Italian-Canadians, Edmonton District, has been participating in the world’s largest multicultural festival since its incorporation in 1979. The dedicated Board and volunteers deliver three days of culture, food and entertainment.