Associazione Nazionale Alpini, Sudbury
In 1970 the Associazione Nazionale Alpini, Gruppo Autonomo di Sudbury was formed by a group of men who wished to commemorate and honour the heroic deeds of the Alpini during the wars. The founding executive included Danilo Petovello, Luigi Candusso, Giuseppe Leon, Arturo Del Missier, Vittorio Pagnucco, Fiorino Michelutti and Adriano Toppazzini as the group leader. The association is named after Corporal Major Gino Di Biaggio who was decorated with the silver medal of military honour and was killed on the Russian front on January 20, 1943.
In the early years, activities were centred around organizing social banquets, but as years passed the group took on other community-minded responsibilities, such as, for example, donating an annual scholarship to the son/daughter or grandson/daughter of a member, and fund-raising for natural disasters that have taken place in Italy. They participate in any event that includes commemorating Italy’s fallen war heros and they travel extensively to events and conferences organized by fellow Alpini associations in Canada, the United States and Italy. They are also the group that officially organizes Italy’s national holiday on June 2 of every year with a mass, a flag raising ceremony at Tom Davies Square and a dinner that tops off the day of festivities.
The Alpini celebrated their twentieth anniversary in 1990 with the installation of a monument to the Alpini at the entrance of the Società Caruso. The monument was designed and sculpted by Peter Ellero, a local artist of Friulian ancestry. The epitaph on the monument reads “To the civic and moral valour of the Italian Alpino in Canada”. In 1983 the Sudbury Alpini hosted and organized the “Terzo congresso degli alpini in Canada”.
Current Board of Directors
President: Giorgio Meuegon
Vice Preseident: Albano Minutti
Treasurer: Giuseppe Piuzzi
Mario Simonetti
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Associazione Regionale Marchigiana
The “Associazione Regionale Marchigiana” was founded in 1999 with the goal of bringing together the large Marchigian community of the region within the context of a variety of events. The founding board of directors for the association includes Adler Volpini as President, Dick Pianosi as Vice-President, Anna Carboni as Treasurer, Gianna Marcantognini as a Director, Lucia Biondi as Welfare Chairperson, Ezio Campanelli as Entertainment Chairperson, Marco Renelli as Membership Chairperson, Mauro Marcantognini as Secretary, and Reta Rinaldi as a Director.
The intent of the association is to promote i) the ties between the members of the club of Marchigiano origin and their descendants, ii) the cultural heritage of the Marche in Canada, and to iii) encourage and support those charitable, social, educational and recreational activities that contribute to the well being of the Marchigiano community in Canada. The first event that the association organized was a gala dinner/dance in May of 2000. At this event the costumes of the five provinces of Marche were showcased and a traditional “Marchigiano” meal was served. Since its founding the Associazione Regionale Marchigiana has organized a variety of cultural and social events and made to donations to local organizations (Sam Bruno Pet Scan fund, Canadian Diabetes Association, and the Lions Club Telethon). They have also established an annual scholarship fund which is awarded to children and grandchildren of members who pursue post-secondary education.
Current Board of Directors
President: Rino Lupini
Vice President: Ianis Renelli
Treasurer: Bill Thompson
Secretary: Eleanor Lupini
Public Relations: Giulio Bartolucci
Welfare: Lucy Cerri
Food: Maria Cinotti
Membership: Josie McLaughlin
Entertainment: Ivano Renelli
Website: www.marchesudbury.com
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Associazione Veneta
The idea for an organization that represented the large Trevsian community in the Sudbury region was born after Settimo Garbuio met with the President of the “Trevisani nel mondo” association Don Canuto in Italy in 1978. Upon his return from Italy, Garbuio met with fellow Trevisian Paul Tosolini to discuss the possibilities of founding a chapter in Sudbury. In June 1979, the two men, together with Corrado Castellan, Danilo Beltrame and Gerardo Simeoni held a formal meeting to finalize the plans for the new association. Paul Tosolini was made President and Settimo Garbuio the Vice-President.
The first annual event that the Sudbury Chapter of the “Trevisani nel mondo” organized was a bocce tournament in 1979. Many other annual activities followed since the association’s inception. Among them are the Festa della famiglia, which was a family oriented evening of dinner and dance; the annual Masquerade Ball that took place during the period of Mardi Gras; scholarships were donated to the children of members attending university and other events. One of the most popular being the annual Festa del radicchio, initiated in 1973 by a group of people from the Veneto region. It wasn’t until the “Trevisani nel mondo” began to organize the event in the 1980s that a radicchio growing contest took place.
Every two years the national association of the “Trevisani nel mondo” hold a convention in different parts of Canada. The Sudbury association was honoured to host the sixth national convention in 1990 whose theme was Communication and Culture. At such meetings the delegates discuss items such as the maintenence of culture, exchanges with the Veneto region for the youth, communication with other chapters of the Trevisani nel mondo, just to mention a few.
The association ceased to exist in 1992 and was replaced with the Associazione Veneta. A the first general meeting held on November 15, 1992, the following members were elected to run the newly formed association: Adriano Garbuio, President; Settimo Garbuio, Vice-President; Leo Silvestri, Vittorio Andretta, Luigi Stradiotto, Roberto Corletto, Amelio Bortot, Bruno Bravo, Orfeo Tessarolo, Tarcisio Goegan and Adelia Castellan as Directors. The Associazione Veneta continues to hold the same events that the “Trevisani nel mondo” began. They have added an annual chestnut roast which takes place during the Christmas season and the annual summer picnic is now held in collaboration with the Fogolâr Furlan Club of Sudbury and the Società Caruso.
Current Board of Directors
President: Leo Silvestri
Committee Members: Vittorio Andretta, Anna Andretta, Amelio Bortot, Rosa Camilli, Irene Sacchetto, Bruno Bravo, Luisa Cecchetto, Dennis Goegan and Jerome Perusini.
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Calabria Social Club
The Calabria Social Club was formed on June 1, 1986 with the aim of offering the large Calabrian community in the Sudbury area an association that would foster and support the rich linguistic and cultural heritage that this region of Italy has to offer. At the founding meeting, which took place in the basement hall of St. Anthony’s Church, the rules and regulations governing the association began to be drafted and a board of directors was established. This group included Egidio Taverna (President), Nardo Bombardieri, Jim Dattilo, Gino Laganà, Elio Massimiliano, Enzo Massimiliano, Adolfo Messina, Nicola Nero, Pasquale Oppedisano, Joe Rossi, Gaetano Zito and Joe Zito.
The association is recognized by the Regione Calabria and is very much family oriented, allowing both men and women to become equal members. The Club distributes a bulletin that it mails out to its members six times per year announcing the various upcoming events. Members also automatically receive the magazine entitled “Emigrazione” directly from Italy.
Among the many annual events that the Club organizes one finds: the Spring Tea that continues to be quite successful; the bocce tournament; the Anniversary Gala dinner/dance; the Christmas party, where the members of the executive distribute scholarships to the children of members that are attending university. In the founding years, the association boasted a children’s choir that sang traditional Italian songs and tarantella dancers under the direction of Anna Taverna that performed at the various events organized by the Club. The association also proudly sponsored a bi-weekly Italian programme that was televised on the local cable network provider. The hour-long programme offered its viewers news and sports from Italy.
Current Board of Directors
President: Nicola Nero
1st Vice President: Ernesto Berardelli
2nd Vice President: Silvanna Oppedisano
Tresurer: Fiorenza Berardelli
Culture and Education: Mario Anselmo
Entertainment: Pasquale Lisi
Membership:Elsa Talarico & Helen Anselmo
Sports: Alfonso Cundari & Franco Folino
Welfare: Carmela Pisani
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Fogolâr Furlan Club of Sudbury
The present day Fogolâr Furlan Club of Sudbury finds its origins in the “Fiesta di San Daniele” initially organized in 1956 during the last week of August to celebrate the “Festa del prosciutto”. The majority of the participants were emigrants from the town of San Daniele, but the celebration was open to everyone. The first organizing committee consisted of Luigi Anzil, Fred Pagnutti, Angelina Michelutti, Fredi Doni, Angelo Fornasiero, Giuseppe Violino and Luigi Buttazzoni. In 1957 the name of the celebration was changed to “Fiesta Friulana” and has continued to be one of the main events organized by the Fogolâr Furlan.
In the following years the “Fiesta friulana” organizing committee felt the need to widen its scope and Gian Piero Ziraldo (president of the committee) approached Rino Centis, the president of the organizing committee for the “San Vito al Tagliamento” ( a group of Friulians who celebrated their local traditions in May of every year), to propose the founding of an association that would represent all the Friulians living in the region of Sudbury. On January 18, 1981 a general meeting was held to formally give birth to the present Fogolâr Furlan Club of Sudbury. The board of directors of the newly founded association included: Gian Piero Ziraldo as President; Rino Centis as Vice-President; Luciano Sovran as Treasurer; Giorgio Ferro as Secretary; Vittorio Centis as Public Relations Officer; Bruno Candusso, Oddo Bulfon, Vittorio Fabbro and Santo Contardo as Directors.
The activities of the association were and are many. For example, an annual wine tasting competition that includes the card-playing competition of “Briscola”; a bocce tournament; the annual picnic at Richard Lake. In the last ten years the Fogolâr has begun organizing an annual winter get-away trip to Acapulco that has proven to be extremely successful. The Club organizes their annual membership party in December together with its Christmas celebration.
The Club has also sponsored many one-time events for the enjoyment of its members and the Sudbury community at large. In 1983, under the presidency of Rino Centis, musical concerts were held (one with the tenor Bruno Sebastian, the soprano Sonja Dorigo and the pianist Zjenica Okicic and the other with singer and composer Dario Zampa). In November of the same year the association was fortunate to hold an exhibition highlighting the Friulian civilization. This event, which included panels, posters and paintings was held on the upper floor of the City Centre Tower and saw more than five thousand visitors.
In the 1985, under the presidency of Vittorio Centis, the Club ventured out on a new project -- establishing its own offices. The donation of space on Durham St. came from Antonio Cotroneo with the condition that the Fogolâr take on the responsibility for the renovations. In February of 1986 a group of Club volunteers began the task of renovating the space and after five months of arduous work, the office of the Fogolâr was officially opened on May fifth. Today the office houses a library, the Club archives, a meeting room and all the equipment needed to operate an office (phone, fax, copier, computer and printer).
The largest event that the Fogolâr has undertaken is hosting “Fogolârs ‘94”, that is, the biannual convention that is organized by the Canadian Federation of Fogolârs in Canada. The multi-day event saw delegates from the seventeen Fogolârs in Canada meet in different venues to discuss issues such as language maintenance and cultural heritage. A conference was organized at Laurentian University to discuss Friuli’s importance in the European economy. Other organized events included: a variety night showcasing the Friulian language and culture held at the Grand Theatre; excursions of the city of Sudbury and gala evenings; the launching of a book “I friulani di Sudbury”, a social-cultural-historical testament of the Friulian contribution to the region, and the opening of a photo exhibition of the Friulian presence of the area. The Exhibition was formally opened by his excellency Andrea Negrotto Cambiaso, Italy’s Ambassador to Canada.
In 1996, the Club, together with the Italian Studies Programme at Laurentian University, The Montessori Club of Sudbury and the Società Caruso, organized an exhibition dedicated to the life and work of film-maker, poet, painter, play-wright, novelist, and journalist Pier Paolo Pasolini at Laurentian University.
In 2006 the Fogolâr celebrated its 25th anniversary with the launch of a new book accompanied by a DVD outlining the evolution and development of the Furlan community of Sudbury.
In 2011, the Fogolâr recently held a display dedicated to the history of Friuli. This traveling display was commissioned by the Province of Udine, Italy and its goal was to showcase the true cultures of this region. The exhibition represented a history of Friuli from before Christ to the present: at one time or another the Celtics, the Romans, the Longobards, Napoleon and the Austro-Hungarians all invaded and conquered this region, but the Friulian language has resisted change and today is still spoken, read and written. It is one of 24 minority languages recognized by the European Community. The exhibition was held in the Municipal Lobby at the Greater City of Sudbury during the week of February 4th to the 11th and then again at Laurentian University on March 25, 2011.
Current Board of Directors
President: Marilyn Simonato
Vice President/Secretary: Franca Bortolussi
Treasurer: Livia Durisotti
Auditors: Italo Polano & Pietro Stefanuto
Health and Welfare: Vittorio Centis & Giuseppe Piuzzi
Directors: Antonia Copetti, Elvia Simon, Mario E. Zuliani & Mario L. Zuliani
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Incontri, Laurentian University Italian Club
What is now known as “Incontri: Laurentian University Italian Club” was founded by Gabe Floreano and Vince Cundari in 1983. In the founding years, the students strove to disseminate Italian culture at the university through monthly activities that included pizza days, pasta days, lectures and socials. The annual “Italian Week”, which later evolved into the University’s Modern Languages Week, included the student’s important involvement.
Today the Club continues to hold the events that the founding members began, but have added new annual activities. Among these is the annual opera trip to Toronto to see an Italian opera during the course the academic year. The Club also awards their book prize to the student with the highest average in their Italian courses. The Club has also organized a trip to Italy for its members. The largest annual event that the students undertake is the organization of their fashion show in March. The Club executive organizes every aspect of the hugely popular event, which is followed by a dance for all the participants. The Club is also very generous with the funds that they raise. They make a substantial donation every year to the Laurentian University Italian Studies Theatre Troupe, “Le Maschere Laurenziane”.
Current Board of Directors
President: Daniel Melchior
Vice President: Olivia Francesconi
Treasurer: Alana Mastroianni
Secretary: Kristy Chan
Secretary of Media and Advertising: Vacant
Social Conveners: Adam Goegan, Maxime Hogue, Emmalie Tomini, Sara Constantini and Daniela Folino
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Società Caruso Ladies’ Auxiliary
The Ladies Auxiliary is an important component of the Società Caruso as it sponsors and organizes various social events during the year, thus also making a financial contribution the club every year. The Auxiliary was formed in 1948 by a group of Canadian women of Italian origin who saw the need for such an organization to provide a social outlet. Their aim was also to assist newcomers to feel at home and form a home in the community and to provide assistance for the Club. The first executive included the following founding members: V. Pattui (President), V. Barazzutti, E. De Simone, L. Tremblay, A. Michelutti, P. Battaino, I. Antonina, A. Derro, M. Castellan, S. Vecchies, F. Caldarelli, L. Prete, G. Donati, S. Midena, M. D’Aloisio, P. Derro and L. Midena. The Auxiliary has grown and widened its contact and membership which includes not only women of Italian origin, but women of non-Italian origin. In the Società Caruso’s founding years, the ladies from the Auxiliary worked at the club as volunteers to help the association financially. In more recent years the financial support has come in the way of a yearly monetary donation and working as a volunteer at the various activities that the club organizes.
Among the many activities of the Auxiliary, the role played in organizing the annual N.O.I.L.A. (Northern Ontario Italian Ladies Auxiliary Association) in 1963 stands out. At the annual meetings of the N.O.I.L.A, which take place every September in one of the seven participating associations, the ladies discuss issues that are specific to their own associations and share ideas to help others. During the course of a year the Auxiliary organizes a Mother-Daughter banquet; they hold “gnocchi and chicken” dinners twice a year; the annual “Spring Tea”; and a Christmas party for its members. The Auxiliary has a visible presence in the annual Società Caruso Italian Festival, at the Canada Day Multicultural Food Fair festivities and has also been extremely willing to help the Culture and Education committee with many of its events.
Current Board of Directors
President: Sandra Mior-Gazdic
Vice President: Ofelia Morassutti
Past President: Linda Zanatta-Beaudoin
Treasurer: Luisa Rinaldi
English Secretary: Dorianna Mior
Italian Secretary: Maria Dagostino
Membership: Emy-Anne Adam
Auditors: Val Bortolin, Irene Sacchetto
Committee Members: Eveline Cooper, Sandra Richard, Luciana Buchy, Alyssa Richard, Lenore Zuliani, Ada Petretti, Maria Pia Dagostino, Reggie Pappano
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Coro Caruso
The Società Caruso’s musical interest was born in the early part of the 1950s. In 1951, Olivo Comisso with the help of Giovanni Cecutti taught young boys, girls and adults with no musical knowledge how to play instruments that, in many cases, they had never seen previously. Thus was born the Società Caruso Band. When Comisso’s son Victor returned from studying music in Toronto, he took over the reigns of the band from 1955-1958.
Mauro Ventura attempted to organize a choir with only seven members. The group sang together for approximately two years, but it was not until 1967 when the Coro Caruso was officially formed under the guidance of Redento Bulfon, a musician of distinction who convinced friends that a choir would further promote and renew interest in multicultural activities. The Coro is presently under the direction of Victor Comisso who is an accomplished musician in his own right. The choir has two talented accompanists who assist during rehearsals and performances: Mario Morassutti on accordion and Paul Ellis on the piano.
Over the years the Coro has performed extensively in the Sudbury area as well as in northern Ontario. They have participated in many ethnic festivals in cities such as Ottawa, Toronto and Guelph, just to mention a few. Concerts have been held on Canada Day, at the CHIN International Picnic, at Ontario Place, at the World Junior Games held in Sudbury and at Roy Thompson Hall. In the city they sing at all the major events organized by the Società Caruso, along with many performances at festivities sponsored by other Italian and non-Italian associations in the area.
The Coro has had two successful tours. The first, entitled “A Tour of Songs in Italy” took place in Italy in 1989. During the tour the choir gave ten concerts in fourteen days in San Daniele del Friuli, Treviso, Lucca, and Vicenza. One of the highlights of the trip for the Coro members was an invitation to sing the Mass in the Monte Berico Cathedral in Vicenza, a shrine that is as important in the Veneto region as Martyrs Shrine is in Ontario. 13 The second tour took place in 1992 when the Coro travelled to Caracas, Venezuela where they performed a series of concerts and were hosted by the Centro Italiana Venezolano of Caracas.
The Coro also took a trip to New York City in October of 1999 to perform at that city’s Famee Furlana and then the next day participate in the annual Columbus Day Parade, which sees Italian Americans celebrate the voyages made by Christopher Columbus during the Renaissance. For many of the thirty members of the Coro who made the trip it was as exciting as it was emotional, because it was the first time returning to New York since their arrival as immigrants from Italy on route to Canada.
The Coro Caruso holds annual fund-raising events to off-set costs. These events include the “Festa dell’Emigrante”, where the pioneers of the Italian community are honoured; the “Castagnata”, an evening of musical entertainment held during the Christmas season; and “gnocchi and chicken dinners” which see all the members of the choir make and sell home-made gnocchi, roasted chickens and “crostoli”. The Coro organizes these and other activities with the sole purpose of promoting Italian traditions in the area of Sudbury.
Current Board of Directors
Choir Master: Victor Comisso
Accordionist: Lina Sanchioni
Choir Co-ordinator: Ofelia Morassutti
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Società Caruso Children’s Choir
The Società Caruso Youth Choir has been through three phases of development. It was founded by Mauro Ventura in the early 1970s and was formed by children and grandchildren of Italians in the region. The children performed popular English and Italian songs and were invited to perform at all Società Caruso functions, along with other events taking place in the city. The age of the children ranged from eight to fourteen years of age. In the 1980s, Marlene Perri took over the reigns as choir director. In the 1997 the choir was again formed under the name of Società Caruso Children’s Choir, this time changing the age range to include younger children (four to twelve years old). The children continue to perform at Società Caruso functions and at events taking place in the city: the Multicultural Heritage Fair, Canada Day festivities at the Sudbury Arena, and events organized by the Società Caruso’s Affiliated associations.It is now co-ordinated by director Christine Sansalone and Lina Sanchioni, who also accompanies the group on the accordion.
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