www.italcanpiazza.ca
A hub for Italian-Canadian organizations and events

Watch the pictures  

On November 8, under the auspices of the Consulate General of Italy in Toronto, the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario (ICCO) in collaboration with CIBPA, Centro Scuola e Cultura Italiana, CIIM, Costi Immigrant Services, Italian Government Tourist Board, Italian Trade Commission (I.C.E), National Congress of Italian Canadians, Team Italia and Villa Charities launched the Italian-Canadian Piazza Website. The event featured a press conference at the Columbus Centre introducing a website dedicated to providing a community calendar featuring Italian-Canadian events for the Greater Toronto Area.

Italian–Canadian Piazza aims to unite the large variety of Italian-Canadian organizations located all over the GTA by providing them a central location for news and events within the Italian-Canadian community. This community calendar will provide you with all the details on all types of events that will take place throughout the GTA: cultural, business, community and charitable events such as concerts, art exhibits, business networking sessions and much more.

Community members as well as local representatives finally now have the opportunity to be up-to-date with just one click. Corrado Paina, Executive Director of the Italian Chamber of Commerce expresses his enthusiasm with his remark: “This is a milestone in the Italian-Canadian community because all the organizations have adhered enthusiastically. For this reason, we hope to achieve a unity of intentions for future activities aimed to promote Italian excellence in Canada.”

This initiative has also been supported by the Consul General, Minister Gianni Bardini who opened the conference emphasizing “the lack of cooperation in the Italian-Canadian community is due not because of a lack of effort but simply as a result of inefficent vehicles. He hopes that this site can become the first of the many new steps towards a new mentality that allows us finally to work cohesively together.” One of the other keynote speakers, Pal Di Iulio, President and CEO of Villa Charities concluded the press conference reminding that “this website will become a powerful tool for the next generation, the ones who will determine future of the preservation of the Italian language, culture and traditions.”    

We are confident that this website will lead to an increased sense of solidity among the future leaders of the Italian-Canadian community.

ICCO would like to thank all the affiliated organizations for their contribution and support in this initiative.

The Canadian Italian Business Professional Association’s (CIBPA) - promotes and cultivates the business, professional, cultural and social interests of our members, and to be recognized as a strong lobbying voice in the Canadian-Italian community.

Centro Scuola e Cultura Italiana - promotes Italian language learning and cultural exchange opportunities for students from kindergarten to University. It organizes Italian classes for children and Summer school credit courses in Italy.

Confederazione degli Imprenditori Italiani nel Mondo (CIIM) - Established to develop a global business network linking Italian business communities abroad with businesses operating in Italy. CIIM's goal is to enable its members to work cooperatively in foreign markets to promote innovation and the opportunity to exchange experiences, ideas, contacts.

Costi Immigrant Services (COSTI) - is a community based multicultural agency providing employment, educational, settlement and social services to all immigrant communities, new Canadians and individuals in need of assistance.

Italian Government Tourist Board (ENIT) - ENIT is the Italian government agency for the overseas promotion of tourism. Its objective is to create awareness abroad of Italy’s natural, environmental, historical, cultural, and artistic beauties, and to assist Italian tourism companies to penetrate foreign markets.

Italian Trade Commission (I.C.E., Istituto nazionale per il Commercio Estero) - is the Italian government agency entrusted with the promotion of trade, business opportunities and industrial co-operation between Italian and foreign companies.

National Congress of Italian-Canadians - an umbrella organization representing 50 different Italian Canadian non-profit groups across the Greater Toronto Area, providing advocacy, information and referral services.

Team Italia - Team Italia is an association that aims to bring together Italian companies established and present in Canada through their branches, agencies, subsidiaries as well as the executives of Italian Origin of Canadian Companies.

The Consulate General - is part of the large network of Italian Consular and Diplomatic offices around the world. Its main purpose is to assist the Italian citizens who live in Ontario, Manitoba and North-West Territories by providing a large variety of services, from passport to vital records, from citizenship to notary services and many others.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario (ICCO) – a private, independent, not-for-profit organization whose aim is to enhance and promote business, trade and cultural relations between Canada and Italy.

Villa Charities Foundation provides continued, reliable financial support primarily for those non-profit organizations set up by Villa Charities Inc. which provide social assistance, cultural development and recreational programs to the general community in the Greater Toronto Area.