Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Italian national holiday Festa della Repubblica.
Seventy years ago, on June 2, 1946, the people of Italy demonstrated exceptional resilience in the aftermath of the Second World War by voting to establish the modern day Italian republic.
Festa della Repubblica not only serves as a commemoration of that landmark in modern Italian history, but also as the beginning to Ontario's Italian Heritage Month in June, a month-long celebration of the tremendous contributions that Italian Canadians have made to Ontario.
Italians have played an instrumental and invaluable role in building strong communities across Canada. Through their ingenuity, hard work, and cultural endowments, they continue to drive Canadian development into the 21st century.
I invite my colleagues to join me in this opportunity to salute the heritage, culture, and values of over one and a half million Italian Canadians from coast to coast to coast.
Grazie mille.