The Italian-Canadian community has a long history in Kelowna. In the 140 years since Giovanni Casorzo and Carlo Guaschetti arrived, Italians have contributed to shaping agriculture, industry, business and culture in the Okanagan. Their legacy remains an integral part of the region’s past, while new generations continue to enrich Kelowna today.

Co-created by the Kelowna Museums Society and the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club, the exhibition will lead visitors through four key eras of Italian immigration to the region. Within each era, artifacts, archival photographs, personal stories and multimedia elements provide examples of how the Italian community has contributed to the Okanagan. A kitchen table in the centre of the gallery connects the eras through Italian food traditions and symbolizes bringing people together.

Curatorial Manager of the Kelowna Museums Society, Amanda Snyder, says the exhibition has even positively surprised museum staff:

“We’ve had such fun working with the Italian Club to co-create this exhibition! Museum staff have learned so much about the local Italian community. We’ve been surprised by the number of ways in which they’ve contributed to shaping the Kelowna we know today, starting with the first Italian settlers coming here 140 years ago thanks to a chance meeting involving Father Pandosy. They brought their culture, traditions and skills from Italy, many of which are showcased in the exhibition.”

The exhibition is the culmination of years of work, and Don Rampone, with the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club, is excited to share the special show with the wider local community: 

“During the past five years, the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club has collected 150 stories about the early Italian families in the area. It has given me great satisfaction to be part of this endeavour. Now, with the construction of the exhibit La Nostra Famiglia Italiana at Kelowna Museums, we share with you the contribution these Italian families have made to life in the Okanagan.”

La Nostra Famiglia Italiana: Our Legacy in Kelowna opens on Saturday, September 23, 2023, and will run until February 2024. The exhibit will be in the Kelowna Museums Society’s flagship location at the Okanagan Heritage Museum (470 Queensway Avenue) in downtown Kelowna. Admission is by donation—suggested donation: $10 per person/$25 per family.

In addition to the celebration of the exhibit opening, the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club will also be hosting its Vendemmia (Harvest) celebration at the Okanagan Heritage Museum on September 23 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be a grape stomp and food available for purchase. You can learn more about that here.

Snyder says the Kelowna Museums Society team can’t wait to welcome visitors to the exhibit, and attendees may leave with a new appreciation:

I have a new appreciation for what it must’ve taken to get from Italy to Kelowna during the turn of the 19th century, and I’ll never look at the terrazzo floor of Peter’s Independent Grocer the same way again! Come on down and check out this fun and fascinating new exhibit at the Okanagan Heritage Museum.”

The Kelowna Canadian Italian Club is proudly celebrating Italian culture and contributions to Kelowna through partnering on this exhibit. They are also offering a number of other events as well, including a celebration of Italian wine and the debut of a full-length documentary. Full details can be found on KCIC’s website here.

Learn more about La Nostra Famiglia Italiana: Our Legacy in Kelowna here. Find the latest information on the Kelowna Museums Society online here. 

The post Kelowna Museums Society and Kelowna Canadian Italian Club Collaborate for ‘Surprising’ New Exhibition first appeared on Panoram Italia.

Filippo was born in the small village of Mammola, nestled in a picturesque valley in the southern Italian province of Reggio Calabria. From a young age, Filippo started working as a barber’s assistant to learn the trade. At the age of 12, he moved to Genoa where he lived with his zia (aunt) Rosina and zio (uncle) Nicodemo. They supported him while Filippo’s father, Vincenzo, worked in Novara (in Lombardia) as a gold miner. Filippo’s mother Palmina (La Rosa) remained in Mammola to raise her youngest child Giuseppe in familiar surroundings. Filippo planned to take the trade he learned in Mammola to excel in northern Italy as a barber.  In time, he opened a successful barbershop in Genoa and began living on his own.

Meanwhile in the smaller village of Chiusa, overlooking Mammola, Giovanna Bruzzese was the last born to her parents Filippo Bruzzese and Filomena Mazzone.  Giovanna already had a taste of northern Italian life.  She lived with her brother Natale in Genoa. While she was deciding where she should settle, she moved back to Chuisa with her parents. Filippo returned to Mammola for a visit with his family during the same time.

He met up with Giovanna’s sister Gina at the market.  She mentioned to him, “My sister is back and if you are interested I would like for you to meet her.”  It was love at first sight.  Filippo Bruzzese mentioned to Filippo Romeo, “Giovanna is my last child to marry. I have no land to give you.”  Filippo replied, “It is Giovanna that I love. I have no interest in her dowry. We will get married and live in Genoa.”

On September 29, 1968, their first child Vincenzo was born. Everything was going well in Genoa, until the eventful day came. In 1970, they received a letter from Giovanna’s brother Peppe in Brooklyn, New York. It read, “Why don’t you come to America because barbers make a ton of money in America? Let me find out what you need to do.” Filippo thought, “Well if it was better, maybe we should consider it.”

Giovanna, the traditional Italian wife, supported her husband. When the news came back from Peppe, his letter explained that Filippo would have to come to New York first, find a steady job and then at least six months later his family could join him. Well Filippo was not going to leave his new bride and his two-year-old son Vincenzo alone. He loved them too much to leave them for such a long time.

The next correspondence was from Giovanna’s sister Dina Mazzaferro in Thunder Bay, Ontario. When she caught wind of the situation, Dina wrote a letter to her younger sister in Genoa saying: “If you and Filippo still want to come, the whole family can come all together to Canada.” This idea sounded all the more appealing to Filippo. And so the adventure begins!

Filippo and his family needed to get a mountain of paperwork in order before their departure. The entire Romeo family had to go for a thorough medical examination in Messina, Sicily. Upon their return home, Filippo had to go for an interview with the Canadian Consulate in Rome. During this busy period, a travel agent was taking care of their airline tickets.

On September 23, 1970, Filippo, Giovanna and Vincenzo boarded a plane for the very first time. Eight hours later they arrived in Toronto, Canada. This was a new world, with a different language and absolutely no one there they recognized! There they were, just the three of them! The moment came when the immigration officer examined their passports and stamped their document with the famous words, ‘immigrant – landed’. What an emotional thing to experience.

When they arrived in Toronto, Vincenzo had the flu and wasn’t feeling well. Giovanna was thirsty and she wanted some water. Filippo tried to get some water but the waitress didn’t understand him. He pointed to a sink to help the waitress understand. As it turned out, getting water was the least of their problems! The travel agent in Italy, had booked airline tickets just as far as Toronto. The family’s final destination was Thunder Bay. An airline agent working for Alitalia helped them out. They had to purchase three more tickets from Toronto to Thunder Bay. This was an unexpected extra expense that the young family had not budgeted for.

They finally boarded the last plane from Toronto to Thunder Bay. Sitting in the first row of economy class, Filippo noticed the passengers in the row in front of him were being served better food than what he was being offered. Filippo said to the attendant, in Italian, “I’ll wait for that food.” Well he didn’t get any food at all because the food he wanted was only being served in business class.

Their arrival in Thunder Bay was greeted by Giovanna’s sister, Dina, and her husband Natale, as well as Natale’s brother, Domenic and his wife, Cathy. Upon their arrival in Thunder Bay, only one of their two trunks arrived. The second trunk, which contained all of their wedding gifts arrived later. However, everything was stolen. Imagine how they must have felt – miles away from their homeland and their families with all of their sentimental items suddenly gone.

The post From Genoa To Thunder Bay: The Adventures Of The Romeo Family first appeared on Panoram Italia.

Check out “Over the Rainbow” on YouTube here:

From classical icon José Carreras to pop legend Michael Bolton as well as classical superstar Lang Lang who commented that Giorgia has “one of the most beautiful voices in the world.”

Her 13th album “Cinema Collection” (VEGA2 Records) includes some of the most recognizable film songs in the history of motion pictures and Academy Award winners.

Listen on Spotify here: open.spotify.com/album/6ENYsQEYEyWa7DUY6DtMYn

An enchanting musical journey through iconic movie melodies, arranged and produced by Stefano Galante, invites listeners all over the world to enjoy Giorgia Fumanti’s unique interpretations and haunting vocals that will no doubt touch the heart and soul.

In the pattern of Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman, this Italian-born, Montreal based soprano is that rare breed of beautiful and charismatic performer able to blend the formal and disciplined world of opera and classical, with the loose and unstructured realm of pop and folk. She is equally comfortable sharing the stage with opera crossover legend José Carreras as she is trading lines with soft rock ballad sensation Michael Bolton, or accompanying internationally renowned concert pianist Lang Lang.

This beautiful collection includes songs by some of the greatest film composers including John Barry, Henry Mancini, Giorgio Moroder, Ennio Morricone, John Williams and others from movies we have all cherished:

1 OVER THE RAINBOW (THE WIZARD OF OZ)
2 LOVE IS À MANY-SPLENDORED THING (LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING)
3 WHEN YOU WISH UPON A STAR (PINOCCHIO)
4 FOR ALWAYS (A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE)
5 CALLING YOU (BAGDAD CAFÉ)
6 UN JOUR TU REVIENDRAS (IL ETAIT UNE FOIS DANS L’OUEST)
7 MOON RIVER (BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S)
8 I WON’T LIGHT A CANDLE (SCHINDLER’S LIST)
9 PLACES (OUT OF AFRICA)
10 ANGEL (CITY OF ANGELS)
11 LES FEUILLES MORTES (LES PORTES DE LA NUIT)
12 TAKE MY BREATH AWAY (TOP GUN)
13 STRANGER IN PARADISE (KISMET)
14 QUAND ON PRIE LA BONNE ETOILE (PINOCCHIO)
15 LA PLUS BELLE CHOSE AU MONDE (LA COLLINE DE L’ADIEU)
16 YOUR LOVE (ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST)
17 Where Dreams ARE BORN (A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE)
18 L’AMORE VINCERA (OUT OF AFRICA)
19 ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST)
20 NOW WE ARE FREE (GLADIATOR)

giorgiafumanti.com

The post Italian-Canadian Classical Crossover Singer Giorgia Fumanti Releases 13th Album ‘Cinema Collection’ first appeared on Panoram Italia.

The self-proclaimed trivia buff made it out on top with $3,299 under her belt.

While she and the other contestants failed to answer the Final Jeopardy question correctly (who are the Jutes?), D’Alessio wagered relatively low and emerged victorious. 

Will she follow in the footsteps of fellow-Canadian Mattea Roach with a winning streak? We’ll find out Monday night. 

“I would say the best way to prepare is to, number one, watch Jeopardy regularly because it gives you an idea of the clues and categories that you’ll see. And also reading a lot is another suggestion,” she said.

D’Alessio, for one, has been watching since she was a pre-teen. Being on the set was a long-time dream come true — and left her with lasting friendships.

“Everybody from the contestants to the crew to the host — in our case, it was Mayim Bialik — were super nice. The contestants I’ve met, we are super close.Even to this day, we talk every day, we have a group chat going on.”

The post Meet Diandra D’Alessio, the Montrealer who won Jeopardy! Friday night first appeared on Panoram Italia.

As written by her daughter Lia Russo for the Quiet Immigrant – My mom often recounts the story of her arduous journey from Cerisano, Cosenza to Montreal, Quebec in the year 1961. Sponsored by her sister Ida’s husband, Mamma Assunta at the tender age of 21 bade her parents, family and friends goodbye to enter a new world that offered refuge from poverty.

Leaving your comfort zone to make a new continent home is not something that most in my generation would have the strength of character to do. Her 9-day ocean liner trip to destination Pier 21, Halifax was filled with nausea and fatigue, but this did not deter her from the anticipation of a better life.

She does not lament her work at the shoe factory cutting leather for shoes at $0.61/hr or the factory work sewing undergarments at $35.00/week. Instead, she proudly announces that she was able to save money! After a hard day of work, she came home to assist her sister with raising the children. Indeed, the English language was a barrier, but she surrounded herself with Italians in a suburb of Montreal. Everyone stayed together on the weekends and learned the meaning of love, unity and companionship. Teaching me the meaning of strong familial bonds filled with love and laughter makes me proud to be her daughter.

By 1964, my mom was married and had a baby on the way shortly thereafter. By the age of 2, I was living in a home that was purchased with money that was saved with an abundance of sacrifice. I owe her gratitude for allowing my brother and I to flourish in a home filled with love and opportunity, never wanting for anything.

My dear mom had the courage to leave her birth home; the resilience to endure the obstacles that immigrants faced; and the fortitude to sacrifice her desires so that her children had the opportunity to better their life. Grazie cara Mamma Assunta!

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By Emma (Turri) Rantucci for Transformations – My father, Pietro Turri, was born on January 29, 1903 in Pontecosi, Toscana, Italy to Olinto and Isolina Turri (nee Valdrighi). He married my mother, Esterina Gragnani, then lived with his parents, operating a large farm with every type of fruit, vegetable and livestock. My mother was the daughter of Pietro Gragnani and Annunciata Guidi, also from Pontecosi.

Dad always wanted to join his brother, Sam Turri and sister, Clelia Martinelli who arrived in Kelowna, British Columbia in approximately 1911 and 1915, respectively.

When the Second World War broke out in 1939, my family underwent many life-threatening trials and tribulations as enemies occupied part of our home and stole most of our livestock. During that time, Pietro and his brother-in-law hid in a huge, dried-out chestnut stump to avoid being captured and sent to a concentration camp. Dad had “engineered” this refuggio (underground shelter) to keep us all safe.

 While under there, Pietro had an appendicitis attack and was brought to the local hospital for surgery. During the procedure, due to enemy bombing, the power went out, so the doctor had to carry on without lights or anesthetic.

 After the brutal war, Dad was even more anxious to immigrate to Canada, but he would not leave his aging parents alone. In 1948, the Capozzi family visited our family. “Cap” Capozzi, who had become a successful entrepreneur in Kelowna, guaranteed Pietro work on the Calona Wines vineyard on Black Mountain.

 Pietro’s mother, Isolina, died in 1949 and so Pietro made a legal agreement with his sister, Amerisa, to take care of their father, Olinto, now over 80 years old. Most immigrants at that time, were accepted as single men to work mostly as manual labourers. But Pietro would not leave unless his whole family of four was accepted. When we came, we were the only family travelling on the ocean liner Vulcania.

In early 1952, we arrived in Halifax and travelled by train across the wintery prairies — what a shock! At 48 years of age and not knowing a word of English, Pietro achieved his dream and set foot on “the promising land” that he believed would give his family the opportunity for a better and safer life.

For the first year, Pietro worked for the Capozzis on the Black Mountain vineyard. The rest of the family worked at Casa Loma Orchards, picking peaches. The following year, an Italian orchardist offered Pietro a job at Summerland, and so the family followed him there and also worked in the orchard.

The post Immigrating To Canada For A Safer Life first appeared on Panoram Italia.

italocanadese.com – A unique exhibit by Italian-Montreal visual artist Marisa Portolese is bringing a lost neighbourhood back to life.

“I grew up hearing about il villaggio. We kept hearing about this mythical place we couldn’t find because it didn’t exist anymore,” Portolese explains.

Officially known as Victoriatown, the neighbourhood was located at Victoria Bridge and the Lachine Canal on the south side of Pointe St-Charles, in the southwest region of Montreal.

“Goose Village” was the moniker of choice for its inhabitants. The name is supposedly derived from the geese that the First Nations hunted on the land. Portolese admits that she has not been able to find a source for this story. It remains folklore.

In the early 1900s, the demographic of Goose Village was a mix of British, Irish, French-Canadian and Scottish citizens. By the 1960s, il villaggio had become a tight-knit working class neighbourhood made up of 330 immigrant families, mostly of Italian and Irish origin. Portolese’s parents were one of those families.

But Expo 67 was coming, and the city of Montreal had big plans. In December of 1962, Mayor Jean Drapeau’s team announced that Goose Village was slated for redevelopment. The announcement was followed by a successful smear campaign to deem the area problematic.

“Close to the CNR tracks, this is an area where there is much evidence of juvenile delinquency, lawlessness, sickness and other problems so often associated in the public mind with slum areas,” the Montreal Star reported at the time.

In 1964, the city bulldozed the entire six-block enclave to make way for the Autostade, a football stadium and parking lot built specifically for Expo 67. It was later torn down in 1976.

When Portolese started her Masters in Fine Arts in the late 1990s, she planned to focus her thesis on Goose Village. But she soon realized that the research would be long and arduous. The Internet as a research tool was not even a concept.

So the project was shelved until years later when she came across an article by Montreal Gazette reporter Marian Scott titled “’V’ is for Vanished: Not a trace survives of glorious Goose Village.” Coupled with the discovery of Les printemps incertains, a 1992 documentary film by Sylvain L’Espérance that looks at gentrification in the working class neighbourhoods of southwest Montreal, Portolese was inspired to finally start her Goose Village project.

The post Bringing Goose Village back to life first appeared on Panoram Italia.

PAUL BENEDETTI – CONTRIBUTED TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL –

They’re called Olive all’Ascolana but in our family, they’re just “stuffed olives.”

Unfortunately, the words “stuffed olives” don’t come close to capturing the history, culinary effort and gastronomic pleasure that these little appetizers represent. These are not the “stuffed olives” that you find in jars with a sad sliver of red pimento sticking out of each end.

No, these are lovingly handmade fried balls of meat and olive with a history that dates back centuries. In our family, they have a cult-like status. Like many specialty ethnic dishes, they only make an appearance once or perhaps twice a year. For us, it’s Christmas. That’s it. And because of the ridiculous time and effort that goes into making them, we have deemed that not every guest is worthy of stuffed olives. You don’t get served the stuffed olives of Ascoli if you say, “I don’t really like olives.” Or if, in the past, you grabbed the first one and carelessly popped the whole thing into your mouth like a Malteser.

Every year in December I get together with my two sisters and two brothers to make them. We are following in the footsteps of our mother and her sisters, who would gather annually to make the stuffed olives and a few other seasonal dishes such as cheese pizza (which is not really pizza, but that’s another story) and anisette biscotti.

Our roots are Italian on both sides: my father, Ugo Benedetti, grew up in Conegliano, Treviso, and was a proud Trevisan. My mother, Mary Carpani, was born in Canada, but her parents, Agostino and Julia, hailed from the town of Ascoli Piceno, in the region of Le Marche, (The Marches in English) which made her Marchigian. Le Marche, one of Italy’s 20 regions, is not as famous as its neighbours Emilia-Romagna, Umbria and Tuscany, but it is a beautiful collection of five provinces nestled between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea. Le Marche is famed for its picturesque medieval villages, including Ascoli, which boasts stunning Travertine piazzas and a history of great food. Growing up, our household cooking oscillated between my father’s favourite Venetian dishes, many of which featured butter, veal, cream and the king of cheeses, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and my mother’s Marchigiano meals, redolent with chicken livers, tomato, green olives and topped with the sheep milk cheese, Pecorino, or what we called Romano. We loved all our mother’s family’s food, but the hands-down favourite were the meat-stuffed olives of Ascoli.

Olive all’Ascolana, like dumplings or perogies, is a relatively simple dish that is time consuming, fussy and, for the most part, historically executed by groups of women.

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