Cultural celebration isn’t just for the many Montrealers with ties to la patria
Italian Week will last 10 days, with events scheduled until Aug. 16. Highlights include a fashion show and an open- air performance of The Barber of Seville. Cooking classes, a film festival and an openair art museum are also scheduled, along with a competition to determine who can produce the best “baba,” a pastry often associated with Naples.
The events are being held across the city, including in Villeray— St-Michel— Parc- Extension, St- Leonard, Rivière- des- Prairies and LaSalle — all traditional epicentres of Montreal’s Italian community.
Marco Calliari, a spokesperson for the event and singer- songwriter whose songs are written in Italian, said he’s particularly looking forward to the opera on Aug. 16. It will be held on a stage at the corner of St. Laurent Blvd. and St. Zotique St. and is the week’s grand finale.
“( The event) is showing people that the Italian community is an important community, in many eras and areas. From food, to music, to sports, to literature, to cinema — anything,” Calliari said.
Calliari, whose parents came to Canada from northern Italy in 1961, has watched as the community has grown and changed. Some centres of the Italian community that existed when his parents arrived have been transformed — Jean- Talon St. E. is home to Little Maghreb now, Calliari noted. There are more people with Algerian roots in La Petite Patrie than there are people born in Italy, according to statistics from the city of Montreal.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the number of people connected with Italy who call Montreal home. When Calliari’s parents came to Canada, nearly 100,000 people of Italian descent were living in the Montreal area, according to the 1961 census. Since then, that number has more than doubled. More than 260,000 Montrealers claimed Italian ancestry during the most recent census in 2011.
And while some parts of Little Italy have changed, other areas have maintained their connection to the community, especially St- Leonard. Nearly one- quarter of Montreal’s Italian immigrants live in the borough.
But Italian Week isn’t only for people who are already have connections to the community, Calliari said. Anyone who wants to learn how to make a good Italian cocktail, play some bocce, or see a show is welcome.
“It’s for all the communities to come and have some fun, to check out the films, or check out a Fiat 500 from the ‘ 70s. It’s a big gathering for everyone.”