Background on Corso Italia
Roots of Heritage
From the landing of Giovanni Caboto (also known as John Cabot) on the shores of Newfoundland in 1497 to the present day, Italians have made a significant impact on the culture of Canada and have become an integral part of the Canadian mosaic.
While the first settlement of Italians in Canada dates back to 1665, it was at the turn of the century when Canada was entering a period of increased industrialization that the first real wave of Italian immigrants came to Canada. At that time, numerous Italian men left their villages and made their way to Canada to work on the railroad, bridges and public buildings. They came to work as seasonal labourers and hopefully make their fortune so they could return to Italy and live out their lives comfort. But not all left and the seeds of the Canadian-Italian community were sown.
The Beginning of the Neighbourhood
It wasn’t until the end of World War II that another wave of Italian immigrants arrived in Canada with many moving to Toronto and settling in the west end of the city. While the stretch of College Street between Euclid Avenue and Crawford Street became known as Little Italy and was the place to meet friends and relatives and perhaps play a game of bocce in the park, increasingly larger number of Italian immigrants chose to move north to St. Clair Avenue West and the surrounding area.
Originally settled by British and Scottish immigrants in 1906 and considered a squatter’s settlement, Earlscourt was annexed by the City of Toronto in 1910. Following the Great Depression of the ‘30s, the area was primarily Jewish with Jewish merchants dominating the commercial strip. But in the 1950’s, as many Jewish merchants moved further north, and with another wave of Italian immigrants coming to Toronto and the merchants from Little Italy looking for a new location, they came to make Earlscourt and subsequently Corso Italia a predominantly Italian neighbourhood.
From a streetscape lined with Italian grocery stores, cafés, restaurants and social clubs that gave the area a distinctive flavour, Corso Italia flourished with small, family-run shops that catered to a clientele of fellow-countrymen. Today, Corso Italia - St. Clair Avenue West between Lansdowne and Westmount Avenue - is recognized as the centre of the Italian community in the City of Toronto.
Recent History
When Italy won the World Cup in 1982, it was estimated that more than 500,000 people celebrated the victory on St. Clair Avenue. The subsequent world-wide broadcast of this celebration was instrumental in the opening of the first Canadian branch of the Banca Commerciale Italiana. It is said that upon witnessing the sea of Italian flags on the street, the senior officials of the bank were so inspired by the sight they felt they had to open a branch in Canada and chose the Corso Italia area as the location for their first branch.
Of course, Corso Italia is famous for having another ‘first’. “La Sem Pattiserie & Cafe” was located in the Corso Italia area and was the first licensed outdoor café in the City of Toronto. At the time, city officials were reluctant to license the establishment as they believed "no one would want to eat or drink outdoors"! In 1963, local alderman, the late J. Piccininni was able to convince city council that outdoor cafes were cool.
During its five decades of existence, has been the home to such Canadian notables as musician Bruce Cockburn and film maker Harry Rasky and has hosted visits from international dignitaries and celebrities, including Queen Elizabeth II. All have delighted in the old world charm and elegance of this unique area.
Corso Italia Today
While several of the businesses now have English names, Italian is commonly spoken in stores and on the street and the majority of the stores are still owned by Italians. Many people from the Italian community who have moved to other areas in the GTA such as Woodbridge/Concord/Maple still return to shop for the latest European trends, styles and tastes.
Corso Italia has a strong foundation of Italian style, work ethic and culture but it continues to evolve as Canada evolves, welcoming people from many different lands. In addition to the Italians and Portuguese (with the Portuguese now making up 26% of the residential population), the area is a welcome home to many other nationalities including Turks, African and South American peoples. It is truly a melting pot reflecting the population of Canada.
Toronto’s Corso Italia continues today as the focal point for celebrating Italian Culture with the annual Fiesta street party celebrations and as the home for the largest gathering of soccer fans during World and European Cup football matches.
