The Italian Cultural Institute

The Italian Cultural Institute in Toronto was established by the Italian Government in 1976, to serve the Provinces of Ontario and _ Manitoba.It was the second in Canada, after the one in Montreal" which began to operate in 1962 for the Eastern Part of the country.'The choice of Toronto as a location for a new Institute was largely determined by the fact that it is, after New York, the city in North America with the second largest population of people of Italian origin.The presence of immigrants in the city and the surrounding areas are conspicuous and visible; so much so that the establishment of an Institute was not only desirable but essential if the Italian heritage was to be kept alive for those immigrants and the generations of Italian Canadians to come.The Institute would also guarantee a better understanding of the cultural values of Italians for the rest of the population with a different background.At first, the Institute was simply an office within the Italian