Evidence of meeting #37 for Canadian Heritage in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was process.
A recording is available from Parliament.
NDP
President, National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations
As it stands now, we're not named in the process at all, although prior to that we were named in the process all along.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
You were in the process. Why do you think you've been left out?
President, National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations
We agree with everything that has transpired through the bill. However, in all of the negotiations when the ACE program was on, we were always part of the negotiating team, part of the advisory committee on behalf of our chapters and whatnot. But right now, they're only naming the congress, so we don't know if we could take part in it as the national federation, and we'd like to be named as part of it or to at least assist in it.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Mr. Di Iulio, do you think this bill undoes some of the work that you're doing through Heritage?
Chair, Italian-Canadian Advisory Committee
I don't know how to comment on that. We are simply implementing what has been decided by the present government. We're trying to implement some of the very same programs, perhaps by a different acronym than ACE, to acknowledge, commemorate, and educate. If you read the application forms, that's what it does.
Should more be done? Again, I'm here. I asked Mr. Dupuis, “Am I coming here as Pal Di Iulio, the president of Villa Charities Inc. in Columbus Centre, or am I coming here as the chair of this committee?”
I'm here as the chair of the committee. I'm saying as a chair of the committee that in the proposed bill we're addressing some of the issues that are parallel. Again, could things be done better with more money and more time...?
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
So you're saying this bill is not necessary because there's already a process in place?
Chair, Italian-Canadian Advisory Committee
There is a process. Some people obviously believe the bill is necessary, but there is a process that we are trying to get the community engaged in, to participate in.
As a group, we have been involved only since March of this year. We've received approximately 10 applications that we are vetting, along with the bureaucracy, and we have made or will be making recommendations to the minister to fund or grant some of these projects that stress acknowledgement, recognition, education, and things of that nature.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
I have a final question here--again because we're extreme generalists. You're our experts, really, and we need your advice.
I'm looking at a bill that looks good to me and you're telling me there's a process in place. Do you recommend this bill to me or do you say there's something already on the table?
That's for either one of you.
Immediate Past President, National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations
Absolutely--the National Federation of CIBPA supports Bill C-302.
Conservative
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
Thank you very much.
Thank you to our witnesses.
As a Canadian who is very proud of his Italian heritage, I'll tell you that I don't support Bill C-302. I think it has very significant problems, and I'm actually surprised, on a number of levels, that you would support Bill C-302. I think it'll fracture the Italian community and fracture it quite badly, actually.
I'm proud to have served on the executive of the Peterborough and District Italian Club. I'm proud to have worked to raise money for the L'Aquila relief program; we're going to present a very significant cheque in Oshawa. I worked on it with a fundraiser in St. Catharines. I attended the damaged sites with Mr. Di Iulio this past summer. I lost my grandfather a couple of years ago, who was, in my actual family, my last direct link back to Italy, but I do feel that connection to Italy and certainly to the Italian Canadian community.
But, I look, for example, at problems with the bill, like the fact that the National Congress of Italian Canadians are the only ones named in the bill.
They cut your group out, sir.
And they certainly cut your group out, sir.
It establishes an endowment fund for which only they will decide who actually gets the money. Don't you think this is going to fracture the Italian Canadian community? I can tell you from just serving on boards on my local Italian club that money being spent by the club on any given initiative tended to raise some passions with the Italian community.
I think if they're going to cut out significant organizations across this country, which this bill does, it's going to fracture, not unite, the Italian community. Don't you agree?
President, National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations
We are here on behalf of our chapters to address that part that we are not named in the bill. We've always been part of the negotiations of the others, the ACE program and every program prior to that and during that. We have always worked with the congress, the Sons of Italy, and the chambers and whatnot, but we are not being named in this. We want to work alongside them.
We do recommend the bill. We do approve the bill on behalf of our association, but we're asking to be part of that bill. That's the main reason we're here.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
So you want amendments to the bill, at the very least.
President, National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations
At the very least, yes, exactly.
Conservative
Dean Del Mastro Conservative Peterborough, ON
Thank you.
Mr. Di Iulio, does the idea of a scholarship fund, which is part of what they are seeking to create, have anything to do with acknowledgement or commemoration of what's occurred?
I can tell you that my family grew up in northern Ontario. My grandfather was lucky to land a job at the Canadian Pacific Railway shortly after arriving in Halifax and he suffered extreme discrimination--extreme. They came here in 1927. When the war broke out, they were the Italian family in their town, and they were hated for it. My dad's name was Enrico Guiseppe. He changed his name to Hank, because he didn't want anybody to know he was Italian.
That was the kind of shame this action brought upon my family. But I fail to see how an endowment fund that would support a scholarship fund that would be arbitrarily decided by a board is going to do anything to acknowledge that what happened to families like mine was wrong.
Chair, Italian-Canadian Advisory Committee
Scholarship funds are good, but the reason I'm involved passionately is that I feel we're unaware, sadly, of our total Canadian history, and in many cases, the Italian Canadian community across Canada is unaware. This will vary. In Montreal, they tend to be a little bit more passionate. In other parts of the country, they either did not know or have forgotten.
It is important to commemorate, record, and celebrate. It is important to make sure that it is in the history books at all levels, especially at the high-school level, because Canadians tend to drop their history early, sadly. By the time they get to university or beyond, many people in Canada don't know, as I didn't, about the Japanese issue, the Chinese issue, and the Italian Canadian issue.
What's most important is for all of us to feel part and parcel of having built.... I see the Italian Canadian community as either the last pioneers or the first immigrants. I think that's important. All of us, regardless of which group we come from, would like to see ourselves reflected in that mirror called history.
This program, CHRP, attempts and does that. Can it do more? More time, more money, and better people can always do a great job, but this is an attempt. It's a good start.
Conservative
November 19th, 2009 / 12:35 p.m.
Liberal
Liberal
John McCallum Liberal Markham—Unionville, ON
Thank you.
I'll begin with Mr. Mariani and continue with Mr. Rodriguez' questions.
I think he had established, or you had agreed, that Paul Martin had $2.5 million on the table. After we lost the election, is it true to say that no money came back or that nothing significant has come up until this bill? Or is there something else going on?
President, National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations
It was $12.5 million. That was the number, but--
President, National Federation of Canadian Italian Business and Professional Associations
Initially it was $12.5 million, but ever since then, should I say, programs have been put in place that never matured to anything at the end, like the ACE program was brought to the forefront and never ever finished.
Have there been any other programs? It's been all programs, but there's been nothing.... Now that we see Bill C-302, it is definitely a step in the right direction to make sure this takes place.
