Throughout the week, there are activities happening to celebrate heritage, including here at the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club!

​MONDAY, FEB 17TH - 1:00pm-4:00pm
​The Heritage Week Opening Event at the City of Kelowna’s Family Day Fun event at MNP Place (4105 Gordon Drive). There will be displays, activitiies, and music by various organizations celebrating the heritage, culture and history of the valley. There will also be Family Day Fun featuring fun and games for the whole family. This is a free event! For more information on Heritage Week, please visit:  okheritagesociety.com/heritage-week or the individual participants’ websites.

12:00pm to 4:00pm 
Heritage Hobbies: Blast From the Past at the Okanagan Heritage Museum. Celebrate BC Family Day and Heritage Week with hands-on stations showcasing Okanagan leisure activities and sports of the past. Don’t miss this fun and educational way to experience the history of our community’s pastimes! Admission is by donation. kelownamuseums.ca/event

TUESDAY, FEB 18TH 5:00pm-6:00pm
Sncewips Heritage Museum’s Coralee Miller with the Kelowna Tree Protectors will give a special tour of the Sncewips Museum with a focus on the significance of Okanagan trees and plants in Syilx Culture. Join a special tour of the Museum with a focus on the significance of Okanagan trees and plants in Syilx culture. Learn about their role in medicines, ceremonies, captik™t, and a variety of pastimes in community life. Adults $5, children no charge.  To register, email: [email protected]

Watch The Daily Courier for this year’s COHS Heritage Award Winners!

WEDNESDAY, FEB 19TH -  6:00pm-8:00pm
Old School: Pop Quiz Trivia Night at the Okanagan Heritage Museum. Test your knowledge on classic school subjects while enjoying a drink—because this class is just for adults!  For ages 19 +   $25 per ticket  kelownamuseums.ca/event

6:00pm
Heritage Week Trivia Night at Whiski-Jack's Pins & Pints (620-525 Highway 97 South, West Kelowna). Get your team together (max 8 players per team) and come down to have some fun, learn some new things about your community's history, and maybe even win some prizes! Organised by the Westbank Museum and by the Sncewips Heritage Museum. [email protected] ; 250-768-0110

7:00pm to 9:00pm
Central Okanagan Heritage Society’s 41st Annual Heritage Awards presentation will take place at Benvoulin Heritage Church (2279 Benvoulin Road, Kelowna). Light refreshments will be available after the presentation. This event is open to all Heritage Week participants as well as the general public.  Admission by Donation. For more Information: okheritagesociety.com; [email protected]

THURSDAY, FEB 20th 7:00pm
FROM ROOTS TO RESILIENCE: Exploring the Journey of Italian Immigrants to Canada- Stories of Family, Identity and New Beginnings at the Kelowna Italian Club Hall. Join this roundtable discussion with four KCIC members who were born in Italy and later immigrated to Canada. Discover their personal stories as they delve into the resilience and courage behind their journeys. Free Admission. Registration Required: kelownaitalianclub.com/rootsresilience

SATURDAY, FEB 22nd 10:00am-11:00am
Old School: Ring the Bell Tour at the Okanagan Heritage Museum This interactive tour takes you through the fascinating evolution of education, from charming one-room schoolhouses to the modern classrooms we know today. Perfect for all ages! $15 a person kelownamuseums.ca/event

1:00pm and 2:15pm
Central Okanagan Heritage Society will be giving two 45 minute tours of the Bennett Heritage House. To attend, please pre-register, as limited spaces are available on each tour. The tours are by donation (minimum $10/person), secure your spot at [email protected]         

4:30pm- 9:00pm
Black History Cultural Celebration, hosted by Africans in Okanagan. This vibrant and inspiring annual event, honours Black history, culture, and resilience within the Okanagan community. It brings together residents from all walks of life to experience the richness of African heritage through captivating fashion showcases, soulful music, and delicious culinary delights. $25-$35  okanaganafricans.ca/events

On Going Events During the Week

The Kelowna Downtown Library will have a number of Heritage Personality Displays from Feb. 16 to the 23rd. There will be new displays on the five SS Sicamous Captains. These displays have been researched and created by members of Kelowna & District Genealogical Society. 

The Lake Country Museum & Archives published Stroll Guides for each of the four wards of Lake Country in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the crea on of the District of Lake Country. The guides are available during Heritage Week. lakecountrymuseum.com     

OCCA Chinese Heritage & History Showcase at Kelowna City Hall. In collaboration with the Chinese Freemasons, OCCA Communities Association is presenting a unique historical display, featuring treasured family ar facts that showcase the courageous journey of immigration, hard work, and cultural celebration. Explore the rich history and resilience of the Chinese community in the Okanagan until the end of March. 

Join us for a special watch party of the Sanremo Music Festival, Italy’s most iconic music competition!

First held in 1951 in the beautiful coastal city of Sanremo, the festival has become a symbol of Italian
music and culture. Known for its elegance and prestige, Sanremo has launched the careers of legendary
artists like Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini, and Eros Ramazzotti and even inspired the creation of the
Eurovision Song Contest. Every year, top artists compete on the stage of the Teatro Ariston, bringing
unforgettable performances and shaping Italy’s music scene.

Experience the excitement of the grand finale with fellow music lovers, streamed live and projected on
the big screen. A perfect occasion to celebrate Italian heritage, enjoy great music, and connect with the
community! Participants are welcome to bring snacks to share.

📅 Date: February 15th - 11 AM - 3 PM
📍 Location: KCIC - 770 Lawrence Ave, Kelowna, BC V1Y 6L9
🎟 Admission: FREE  
Light refreshments served.  Please bring a food item to share.
**Non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase.
​
Don’t miss this chance to experience the magic of Sanremo right here in Canada!

Three years ago, the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club began a scanning project. Documents and photographs, of relevance to Italian families in the Kelowna area, are being scanned and turned into files that are word searchable. Typing a single word into the database will instantly display all articles containing that word. Each article has a unique number attached to it, which will allow one to see the original item in the volumes of documents, accompanying the database.

Over 3500 items have already been scanned. Many more are waiting.  This collection contains many obituaries and newspaper articles about early Italian families. Some of the more interesting items to me,  that are already scanned, follow: 

In 1930, many of the early Italian families who lived in the Mission area, got together and formed the “Pandozi District Italian Community Club”. A copy of the land title shows it was registered on June 23, 1931. They soon built the Italian Community Hall at the intersection of Casorso and Gordon Roads.  A secretary’s minutes book, a treasurer’s ledger and numerous receipts and invoices tell the story of the building of this hall and the activities that ran out of it. One of those receipts lists the first Bocce balls that were purchased by club secretary, Gino Bazzana.  They were purchased on July 17, 1930, from  the City Grocery store, for a cost of $14.00. The receipt states that P. (Pasquale) Capozzi was the proprietor of “FANCY GROCERIES AND PROVISIONS” and that they “GUARANTEE SATISFATION.” There is a story that this set of Bocce balls still exists, so the search is now on to locate them.

Armando Bossio was the 1977 President of the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club. When we tried to find out about the Bossio family, we found only one nephew who knew little about his uncle. However, during the scanning of the old club newsletters we found a story. The Club newsletter, The Grapevine, (Volume 1, Issue 4) December, 1994 states: “The children and grandchildren of Armando and Doreen Bossio honored their parents with a Dinner and Dance at the Lodge Hotel on Saturday November 17, 1994, in honor of their 50th Anniversary.”  It goes on to say they were married in Fernie, BC, that he worked in the mines and the grocery and hotel business in Michel, BC and the Liquor Control Board in Vancouver, BC.  Armando was transferred to Kelowna where he worked for the Board until his retirement in 1979. 

Numerous newspaper articles from BC Historical Newspapers have been scanned.  Some of my favourites are those dealing with the Italian contribution to building of the Kettle Valley Railway and the Belgo Irrigation system from 1911-1914.  There are articles describing life in the camps as well as those articles telling of the fear some local residents had of these transient workers. 

There is a February 11, 1939 letter from Tommaso in Torino, Italy to B. Cribari & Sons in Fresno, California.  It is a response to a letter they received asking for information about the “Moscato perfume” used in making Vermouth. In the letter they describe the recipe and about the colours for both the Italian and French types of Vermouth. This letter was found in a collection of papers from Joseph Ghezzi, the original wine maker at Calona Wines.

Recently, the first instalment of this searchable database, an inventory of the items and the first 2879 items, has been donated to the Kelowna Public Archives.

The Kelowna Museums and the Kelowna Public Archives are honoured and excited to be receiving this donation from the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club (KCIC). The club has worked very hard on pulling together all of this material and working to digitize it in a way that makes it accessible to their members. Through this donation to the Kelowna Museums/KPA, the KCIC material will have an even wider reach to those interested in learning about the many contributions that Italian Canadians have made to the City of Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley.  

The KPA is utilized by both local and international researchers investigating topics varying from genealogy to academics; the addition of the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club’s materials will broaden the scope and depth of their work. The donation being in a centralized location provides greater access for researchers as well as allowing the materials to be viewed in a broader historical context amongst the KPA’s archival holding.