Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
My name is Ciro Cucciniello. I was born in Montreal a little over 50 years ago. My father, Carmen Cucciniello, immigrated to Canada in 1953 from a village called Taverna la San Felice near Avellino, Italy. My mother immigrated in 1956, and they married here in Canada in 1957.
In 1982, while attending McGill law school, I was approached by law students of Italian-Canadian origin who spoke to me about this place called the Casa d'Italia, a community centre located at 505 Jean Talon Street East in Montreal. Their goal was to establish a legal aid clinic similar to the one operated by students at McGill University. However, it would address constituents of the Casa d'Italia. Something told me to explore this idea as a young law student.
At the Casa d'Italia I first met Sam Capozzi. He was the president of the Casa and a veteran of the Canadian special armed forces who served in Asia and the Pacific. He asked me a few questions about my family. He welcomed me and thanked me for volunteering my time to the community. Our discussions about the Casa d'Italia, the different waves of immigrants, where the Italians settled in Montreal and other Canadian cities led to stories about the integration of the Italian community and the Casa d'Italia in Canadian life.
Allow me to present to you a brief history of this 73-year-old institution and the backbone of our community since 1934.
In 1934 over 4,200 Montrealers donated between 10 cents and $100 towards the fund to build the Casa d'Italia, a home away from home. The Casa d'Italia opened its doors on November 1, 1936. On June 12, 1940, on a surprise raid by the RCMP and the QPP, the Casa d'Italia property and its belongings were sequestered and its membership used to mop up the enemy aliens.
After the war and under the leadership of the then Montreal mayor, Camillien Houde, who, by the way, was interned with local Italian Canadians, a private member's bill, 174, was presented to the National Assembly requesting restitution of the property. As soon as the property was returned, the Casa d'Italia readied itself to support the largest wave of Italian immigration to Canada. The first meals and shelter, an employment office to find jobs, and French and English language courses were provided to the recent arrivals. I wish to underline the significant role the Casa played in the process of landed immigrants acquiring their Canadian citizenship.
For the record, the Casa d'Italia is the second-oldest membership-based institution after the Order the Sons of Italy. Many organizations were conceived within its walls, including the National Congress of Italian Canadians. As we speak, the vintage 1936 art deco building housing the Casa d'Italia is being restored and expanded to archive the Italian-Canadian community experience, provide pedagogical support for school outings, and allow people to discover the story of our integration into Canadian life. The project has, as part of its mission, the promotion and education of exemplary Italian Canadians, their history, and their story.
It was during Sam's history lessons that I learned about the internment of persons of Italian origin in Canada during World War II. I had never heard of the military camp Petawawa, which served as the prison. I was familiar with the matter of the internment of Japanese and Ukrainian Canadians, but I was quite surprised to learn about the internment of persons of Italian origin.
In 1983 Sam asked me to become a member of the board of directors of the Casa d'Italia. I attended meetings and was literally taken aback by the concerns, stories, and life experiences of some of our members on the board and their families.
I recall the late Senator Pietro Rizzuto coming to provide assistance to the Casa d'Italia. I remember John Turner telling me to listen to what Sam Capozzi had to say with regard to community service. I remember former Premier of Quebec Robert Bourassa speaking to us on the issue of internment, saying “don't worry, at the right time an apology will come”. I remember Herbert Marx, the former Minister of Justice of Quebec, offering guidance at the invitation of Sam Capozzi on proceeding to obtain an official apology in an appropriate and dignified manner.
Many members of the board of the Casa d'Italia experienced Petawawa and its consequences. One of them was a fellow by the name of Gentile Dieni. He had been interned during World War II for his association with the Italian colony. Gentile Dieni represented a small but determined group of persons who wanted to get their due from the Canadian government for an injustice that had been perpetrated on them and their families.
I consistently heard that we, as Canadians of Italian origin, should request that the Government of Canada provide an apology to the families of those who were interned during World War II. I won't read section 3 of the act, but in my opinion and in the opinion of our constituency, it does just that. It clearly provides the apology that we, the members of the Italian community, have been requesting for so many years.
There are almost 300,000 Canadians of Italian origin in the greater Montreal area and over 600,000 Canadians of Italian origin in the greater Toronto area. There are close to 1.2 million Canadians of Italian origin in Canada today. Many of these Canadians and their children are paying particularly close attention to this bill.
Members of the community, including our business, professional, religious, and cultural groups, together with local Italian-Canadian media, see this bill as an opportunity for the Government of Canada and its members of Parliament, regardless of political stripe, to definitively correct a wrong. I believe that with the passing of the Italian-Canadian Recognition and Restitution Act, the Canadian government brings closure to what has been an open wound for many of us.
With respect to section 4, providing for restitution, I leave it to the best judgment of this government to determine an appropriate amount, if any, for community programs and educational materials. The constituency of the Casa d'Italia, which directly suffered the consequences of the enemy alien designation and internment, truly believes that the prime aspect of this act is the apology.
I wish to thank Massimo Pacetti, the member of Parliament for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, for bringing this bill forward, and the Government of Canada for bringing closure to this issue and for providing appropriate restitution in the circumstances. Mr. Chair, I would also like to acknowledge the presence of Pasquale Cobacci, secretary general of the Order Sons of Italy, and Angela Minicucci, board member of the Casa d'Italia.