Ethnic press, the voice of Canada

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TORONTO – 750 publications in more than 65 languages: the ethnic press plays an important role in the Canadian society and the NEPMCC (National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada) unites it all across the Country, as well represented today at the CNE, the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto. Publishers and journalist from every language media not in English or French gathered together to speak about the state of ethnic press in Canada and to promote their newspapers. During the event, Thomas S. Saras, President of NEPMCC, talked about the goals of the organization and the Honourable Joe Volpe, publisher of the Italian newspaper Corriere Canadese, underlined the force of the ethnic media in a Country where 23% of people speaks languages other than English and French.

After the speeches, officials cut the ceremonial ribbon to open the NEMCC booth at the CNE (in the pic below).

In the next edition of Corriere Canadese, more details about the event. Here below, some pics from the event (by Priscilla Pajdo and Marzio Pelù).

Candidati che se ne infischiano delle regole? Fuori

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TORONTO – Ci deve essere un modo per “qualificare” i candidati a cariche politiche o per squalificare coloro che hanno una comprovata esperienza nel trasgredire gli standard pubblicamente accettati con comportamenti inappropriati. Nel bene e nel male, la burocrazia dei partiti politici riconosciuti conduce un processo di selezione per potenziali candidati alle cariche… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

Il “Plan to stay open” conta sulla sanità

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TORONTO – Investire nelle strutture sanitarie private per gli interventi chirurgici, aggiungere fino a 6.000 operatori sanitari, trasferire gli anziani in case di cura a lunga degenza “alternative”. Sono questi in sintesi i punti salienti del “Plan to stay open” presentato ieri dal governo dell’Ontario in vista di un probabile aumento delle malattie respiratorie nei prossimi mesi… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>>

Elezioni municipali: Tory senza sfidanti, corsa a tre a Vaughan

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TORONTO – Il tempo è finito. Scade oggi pomeriggio il termine ultimo per presentare la propria candidatura alle elezioni municipali in Ontario per le cariche di sindaco, consigliere comunale e fiduciario in uno dei provveditorati pubblici della provincia. E se in alcune città questo voto si presenta estremamente competitivo, con numerosi candidati che nutrono ambizioni legittime per la vittoria finale, in altre la partita sembra già chiusa prima di iniziare…

Read More in Corriere Canadese >>>

Ignore candidates who flout the rules

TORONTO – There must be a way “to qualify” candidates for political office or to disqualify those with a proven record of transgressing publicly accepted standards with inappropriate behaviour. For better or for worse, the bureaucracy of recognized political parties conduct a selection process for potential nominees for office. These are open to abuse and to the whim of the leadership and its entourage, but at least there are standards against which approval or criticism can galvanize.

Not so in the in the hurley burley wild west that we see in Municipal politics. The much- touted office of Integrity Commissioner has done little but develop an industry (lucrative for the practitioners) of “tut-tut ism”. Conflicts Commissioners (Ethics Commissioners in some circles) are as eunuchs in a harem.

John Tory, full-time employee of media giant, Rogers, can occupy the mayor’s chair, make decisions that suit his employer and still run for office. School board trustees can violate their oath of office and still offer themselves for election.

It seems endemic to our democratic system: do anything, no matter how egregious – lie, cheat, malign – if you can escape the public’s wrath.

It is a disease that afflicts even the boards of cultural institutions like the Art Gallery of Mississauga. A reading of the Agenda (and its Appendices) of the Annual General Meeting of the Gallery, held August 4, 2022, obtained by the Corriere Canadese would cause a reasonable person to shake their head in disbelief.

It is a “cleaning house” document approved by the assembly following a litany of disruptions, allegations of harassment, bullying, intimidation, questionable circumventions of rules and procedures, obfuscation, “people” sitting as arbitrators of complaints against them personally, falsification of financially sensitive documents etc. It is a wonder the AGM has survived the ordeal.

The Board of the AGM finally succeeded in liberating itself from the cause of all of this turbulence appears to be, its now former President of the Gallery’s Board of Directors, Leslie Silvestri. After an internal revolt structured to secure a legitimate meeting of the Board, it hired Scott and Associate (Scott) to conduct an investigation into the preceding allegations and to report – which it did on July 29, 2022.

Here is an excerpt from Scott’s Workplace Investigation Summary:

“…the allegations of bullying and harassment made against Ms. Silvestri are substantiated…Ms. Silvestri has engaged in, among other things, psychological harassment of others, as well as workplace violence as defined by Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, and that the complainant(s) fear reprisal, reputational harm from Ms. Silvestri. Scott concluded that [Silvestri’s] conduct contravened both the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Human Rights Code…”

Armed with this background, Ms. Silvestri has registered as a candidate for Mississauga City Council.

Silvestri and complainants were notified of the findings. Corriere’s attempts to reach Ms. Silvestri went unresponded as of going to print.

“Pronto soccorso del St. Joseph nel caos”

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TORONTO – Una chiusura formale delle cure ambulatoriali per carenza di infermieri. I pazienti in barella che affollano i corridoi per ore. Nessuna sala di rianimazione operativa. Un bambino malato che non è sorvegliato.
È questa l’immagine del caos in un fine settimana di luglio dipinta da 40 medici nel pronto soccorso del St. Joseph’s Health Center, uno dei più trafficati di Toronto… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>> 

Quelle foto scattate per prolungare l’addio

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WATERLOO – La macchina fotografica, questo oggetto misterioso che cattura gli istanti, eternandoli, ha fatto molto parlare di sé. In alcune culture si pensava che la foto fosse addirittura in grado di rubare l’anima, intrappolarla nella carta fotografica. Come in uno specchio magico ciò che vediamo tramite la lente ottica è il nostro sogno antico evocato dal ricordo dei dettagli…

Read More in Corriere Canadese >>>

La Bella lingua resiste: oltre 500mila canadesi parlano in italiano

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TORONTO – Sono oltre 500mila i canadesi in grado di parlare in italiano. Di questi, 255mila utilizzano principalmente la lingua italiana quando sono in casa, mentre altri 92mila lo fanno saltuariamente. Sono questi alcuni dei risultati messi in luce dell’istantanea scattata da Statistics Canada attraverso il Censimento 2021 presentati ieri. Nel rapporto dell’Istituto Nazionale di Statistica si mette quindi in luce come la “Bella Lingua” sia ancora viva e vegeta nel nostro Paese, nonostante la netta flessione del fenomeno migratorio dall’Italia al Canada registrato negli ultimi anni… Read More in Corriere Canadese >>>

YCDSB: Biting the ‘Italian hand’ that feeds you

TORONTO – Five trustees in the York Catholic District School Board (YCDSB) have had enough of the climate of discrimination being tolerated, if not nurtured, by some of their colleagues against Italians and Catholicism. Yes, you read that correctly, against Italians, in 2022.

They appear to be an easy target. There are so many of them in York Region. In fact, two Federal/Provincial ridings (King-Vaughan and Vaughan Woodbridge) are home to 110,000 people who self-identified as being of Italian origin in the 2016 Census. Including those from other areas of Vaughan (Maple, Concord), they comprise 38% of the population in that city. While not as dominant in the Eastern part of York Region, there are sizeable numbers in Newmarket, Aurora, Richmond Hill, Thornhill Stouffville and Markham.

They are predominantly Catholic. Without them, the York Catholic District School Board might well cease to exist. For some unexpressed reason that bothers people… not all, but some trustees resent the influence the impact of such numbers brings.

One trustee in particular, Theresa Mc Nicol, began a public social media “campaign” suggesting that there would be earth shattering revelations at the upcoming August 30, 2022, Board meeting and encouraging all her followers to attend in person. She sent a similar invitation to the Corriere Canadese, without particulars. Shortly after posting the message, McNicol sent the same message in Italian.

When asked why she was communicating in Italian, she apparently made the comment, “that’s the only way ‘they’ will understand…”. In fact, several email responses from McNicol were written in Italian. Corriere Canadese has asked for a copy of those emails, but, as of going to print, no one from the Board has responded.

Furthermore, evidently, through subsequent communication, she expressed [alleged] discomfort in the presence of her ‘Italian’ colleagues and a sense of insecurity for her personal safety, even in the sanctuary of the Board offices, implying a relationship with the American underworld. She emailed the Chair suggesting it might be prudent to engage security as a sign of an abundance of caution. This is 2022.

Four of the five trustees (Maria Iafrate, Maria Marchese, Domenic Mazzotta and Dino Giuliani) were born and raised in Canada, and Trustee Cantisano, who was born in Italy, immigrated to Canada at the age of three. All 5 Trustees are upstanding Canadian Citizens. Dino Giuliani has been a Trustee for the last 25 years. Domenic Mazzotta, also a previous Chair, has been a civic minded activist since very early in the 1980s.

All of them are motivated by a sense of civic duty. None of them deserved to be tarred by the besmirching of their heritage. Or to be treated as second-class citizens in their own home.

Regrettably, it seems an attitudinal problem at the YCDSB. When Cantisano and Iafrate attended their first Board meeting after the last election, the then Chair stated “oh great, two more Italians”. In a meeting with former Minister of Health, Christine Elliot, current Chair Crowe wistfully noted that the staff at the YCDSB was “predominantly Italian”. To her credit, Elliot asked, “What’s wrong with that?”.

But the request that the police be called to secure the safety of non-Italian trustees from the potential danger posed by the “Italians” was the proverbial last straw. The sting of discrimination directed at the ‘Italians’ was palpable and no longer ignorable. Its latest manifestation warranted action.

Dino Giuliani insisted that the police investigate McNicol’s not so subtle allegations. His colleagues agreed. As expected, the police found absolutely NOTHING; because there was nothing to investigate, nothing that would cause concern to even the most innocent of children.

They also called on the Ministry of Education to investigate and are exploring a Human Rights complaint. The Ministry responded with an offer to conduct a meeting in camera on August 16th. Such a meeting falls outside the parameters of permissible “private meetings” of any school board. Besides, the allegations made by Mc Nicol are already in the public domain. Their solutions should be aired publicly.

Trustees Cantisano, Giuliani, Iafrate, Marchese and Mazzotta have declined the offer to attend that private meeting and are considering absenting themselves from any subsequent ones until the matter is resolved to their satisfaction. Their absence would deprive the YCDSB of the required quorum to legitimize any meeting’s deliberations.

Corriere’s calls and emails to the Minister and the Ministry have so far gone unanswered. A last minute response by the YCDSB Chair and Director provided generic responses regarding courses of action that may not be applicable within the 90 days period preceding election day.

Ironically, the actions, utterances and postings of Mc Nicol and others would be reasons enough to disqualify them from seeking public office under a partisan party banner.