Yesterday (May 17, 2017), the Canadian Parliament passed a motion to officially recognize June as Italian Heritage Month.
The private Member’s motion was introduced by Deborah Schulte, Liberal MP for King-Vaughan, in June of 2016. At the time of her notice, Schulte said, “My riding has the second largest constituency of Italian-Canadians in the country, and I have seen first-hand the dedication, hard work and entrepreneurship that is the hallmark of the Italian community.”
The motion was supported by other Liberal MPs and various Italian-Canadian community organizations.
Motion M-64 passed unanimously. It reads: “That, in the opinion of the House, the government should recognize the contributions that Italian-Canadians have made to Canadian society, the richness of the Italian language and culture, and the importance of educating and reflecting upon Italian heritage for future generations by declaring June, every year, Italian Heritage Month.”
In 2010, the Ontario legislature passed a bill to officially declare June Italian Heritage Month. Although the status was technically only recognized in Ontario, over the years cities all across Canada have unofficially celebrated Italian Heritage Month with various activities and events.
Michael Tibollo was one of the first to spearhead the Ontario initiative. At the time he was president of the Toronto chapter of the National Congress of Italian Canadians. Today, he is the president of the Italian Canadian Heritage Foundation.
“Today, MP Deb Schulte helped fulfill a dream that I first had in 2010 when we started the process of declaring Italian Heritage Month in Ontario. We dreamed and worked to have it also declared throughout Canada. Today it became a reality thanks to her efforts and the unanimous vote of the House. On the eve of Italian Heritage Month 2017, our 7th annual celebration, and Canada’s 150th birthday, I am truly proud to be a Canadian of Italian heritage, fiercely proud of my country and my heritage. Looking forward to an amazing celebration across our great land,” Tibollo wrote yesterday in a Facebook post.
Italian Heritage Month festivities are scheduled throughout the month of June.
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