Italian Cultural Centre Vancouver
 | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages)
|
The Italian Cultural Centre (Il Centro) is located at 3075 Slocan Street, in East Vancouver, Canada, on Slocan Street at Grandview Highway.
History
The Italian Cultural Centre's beginnings are in 1974 when the Consul General of Italy, Giovanni Germano, met with the Premier of British Columbia, Dave Barret. In the Provincial Legislature the Premier represented the riding of Vancouver-Hastings, an area heavily inhabited by Canadians of Italian origin. The Premier was well aware of the wish of the Italian community and he therefore challenged Consul Germano to find the support and turn the dream into a reality. Premier Barret assured Consul Germano that a grant from the B.C. Government would be available. At Vancouver City Hall, Mayor Art Phillips, also well aware of the wish of the Italian community, indicated to Consul Germano the possibility of obtaining city land at a special price. The land had already been chosen: an 8-acre (32,000 m2) city dump in the heart of Vancouver East. [1]
Both the Provincial Government and the City of Vancouver kept their promise. In order to draw a wider participation of members, a Federation of Italian Associations was formed on a Canadian legal basis: the Italian Folk Society, later to become the Italian Cultural Centre Society. The original societies pertaining to the Federation were the following: Associazione Nazionale Alpini, Circolo Abruzzese, Coro Italiano della British Columbia, Famee Furlane, Famiglia Bagnolese, Italian Canadian Rod & Gun Club, Italian Mutual Aid Society, Molisana Society, Selva del Montello, Sicilian Club, Società Culturale Vicentini, St. Jude Italian Society and Tuscany Cultural Society. These 13 were the founding societies. Today there are 37 societies affiliated to the Italian Cultural Centre.
On September 25, 1977, the Italian Cultural Centre officially opened its doors. The former city dump became an address in Vancouver where the Italian community could gather with the aim to preserve, develop and express Italian culture and language. [2]
Il Centro functions as an orientation and service centre for incoming Italian immigrants as well as a community centre for the Italian-Canadian community.
The centre's services are a restaurant, museum, library, banquet hall, daycare centre, television production centre and an indoor bocce court. Every summer in June the centre hosts a week-long Italian festival called Italian Week.[3]
As part of their initiatives to preserve Italian Culture for not only the Italian community, but to promote Italian culture in Vancouver. This is done through offering Italian language classes for young and old, fine art exhibitions, wine tastings, cooking classes, Literary events, and the organization of Italia day on Commercial drive and Il Mercato in order to showcase Italian culture and Italian business in Vancouver.
Bocce
Adjoining the main building, the centre has an indoor bocce court.
According to Boccemon Tom McNutt "The Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia has one of the finest bocce facilities on the continent. It is a great institution and every culture would be proud to have such a treasure."[4]
External links