Statement by Minister Hussen on Italian Heritage Month

OTTAWA, June 1, 2022

Over the next 30 days, people from across the country will have an opportunity to honour and celebrate Italian Heritage Month, a time to recognize the community’s contributions to building the strong, vibrant, and consciously more inclusive country we know today.

With more than 1.5 million people of Italian heritage, Canada is the proud home of one of the largest Italian diasporas in the world. From business to sports, cuisine, politics, and much more, the community has enriched all aspects of our society, and continues to do so.

As we celebrate these great contributions, we must also acknowledge the historic injustices that the Italian-Canadian community faced during the Second World War. In 2021, a formal apology was delivered by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the House of Commons for the internment of hundreds of Italian Canadians. We must learn from these past wrongs, as we continue to build a more equitable and just society.   

As Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, I invite all Canadians to participate in events taking place across the country during Italian Heritage Month, as we celebrate the many inspirational contributions of Canadians of Italian heritage.

To all those who are marking this special occasion, happy Italian Heritage Month!