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2. COMMEMORATIVE MONUMENT IN PIAZZA DANTE PARK MONUMENT COMMÉMORATIF AU PARC
PIAZZA DANTE |
COMMITTEE
RECOMMENDATION
That City Council approve the installation
of a Commemorative Monument in Piazza Dante Park by the Italian Canadian
Community Centre of the National Capital Region Inc., as outlined in this
report and described in Documents 1 & 2.
Recommandation DU Comité
Que le Conseil approuve l’installation, par l’ Italian Canadian Community
Centre of the National Capital Region Inc., d’un
monument commémoratif dans le parc Piazza Dante, comme il est expliqué dans le
présent rapport et décrit dans les Documents 1 et 2.
Documentation
1.
Deputy
City Manager, City Operations report dated 12 May 2011 (ACS2011-COS-PRC-0004).
Community and Protective Services Committee
Comité des services
communautaires et de protection
and Council / et au
Conseil
12 May 2011 / le 12 mai 2011
Submitted by/Soumis par :
Steve Kanellakos, Deputy City Manager/Directeur
municipal adjoint, City Operations/Opérations municipales
Contact
Person/Personne ressource : Dan Chenier, General Manager
Parks,
Recreation and Cultural Services/directeur
général, Services des parcs, du loisir et de la culture (613)
580-2424 x 24295, Dan.Chenier@ottawa.ca
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Ref N°: ACS2011-COS-PRC-0004 |
SUBJECT:
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OBJET :
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REPORT
RECOMMENDATION
That the
Community and Protective Services Committee recommend that City Council approve
the installation of a Commemorative Monument in Piazza Dante Park by the
Italian Canadian Community Centre of the National Capital Region Inc., as
outlined in this report and described in Documents 1 & 2.
Que le Comité des services communautaires et de
protection recommande au Conseil d’approuver l’installation, par l’ Italian Canadian Community
Centre of the National Capital Region Inc., d’un
monument commémoratif dans le parc Piazza Dante, comme il est expliqué dans le
présent rapport et décrit dans les Documents 1 et 2.
BACKGROUND
In
2008, the Federal Department of Citizenship and Immigration established the Community
Historical Recognition Program (CHRP), to provide
funding for community-based commemorative and educational projects to recognize
the experiences of ethno-cultural communities affected by historical wartime
measures and/or immigration restrictions applied in Canada, and to promote
these communities’ contributions to building Canada.
In September 2008, the Italian Canadian Community Centre of the
National Capital Region Inc. (ICCC) applied for funding under the program to
install a monument commemorating the Second World War internment of Italian Canadians
from the City of Ottawa.
The purpose of the monument is to increase the knowledge and
understanding of the impact of the internment during the Second World War on
the Italian Canadian community and of their contributions to building a strong
Canada during the Post War period, and to contribute to healing and
reconciliation amongst internee descendants.
In December 2009, the Department
of Citizenship and Immigration approved a grant to the
ICCC to prepare and install the commemorative monument, as well as a
number of other initiatives and activities, including a time capsule and preparation
of an educational booklet to provide historical facts
and interpretation for the monument and time capsule, with a particular focus
on the National Capital Region, to ensure that their purpose is known and well
understood.
DISCUSSION
Upon the announcement of the Historical Community Recognition
grant in January 2010, the ICCC approached the Parks, Recreation and Cultural
Services Department to propose that the commemorative monument be installed in
Piazza Dante Park. Piazza Dante is a
small public park and urban plaza located at 470 Booth Street and across the
street from St. Anthony’s Church, in the historic heart of the City’s Italian
Canadian community.
Piazza Dante was originally developed as a 1967
Centennial project and has served as a central public plaza for the community
for over 40 years. The Parks, Recreation
and Cultural Services Department have long identified this park as requiring
redevelopment. In 2007, a comprehensive
design and consultation process was completed for Piazza Dante Park, and
community consensus was achieved on a Concept Redevelopment Plan for the park.
In 2010, Councillor Diane Holmes identified the
redevelopment of Piazza Dante as a priority project for funding under the Ward
Cash-in-Lieu of Parkland Reserves. Staff
has since proceeded with the preparation of detailed design and contract
documents for the redevelopment project and has identified an appropriate
location for the installation of the proposed commemorative monument in the redevelopment
plan (Document 1).
The text for the proposed commemorative
monument has been approved by the Federal
Department of Citizenship and Immigration and is reproduced in Document 2. The text will be inscribed in English, French
and Italian on the monument.
It is anticipated that park construction will
begin in mid-June 2011, with a scheduled completion date at the end of
August. Should City Council approve the
proposed commemorative monument, it will be installed under a separate contract
by the ICCC in September 2011, followed by a public commemoration event in
October 2011. All capital costs for the
preparation and installation of the proposed commemorative monument will be
borne by the ICCC through their CHRP grant.
The ICCC will retain ownership of the
commemorative monument and will assume responsibility for the monument’s
ongoing maintenance, including regular cleaning, removal of graffiti, required
repairs and life cycle replacement. The
ICCC currently has an Adopt-the-Park maintenance agreement with the City for
Piazza Dante; such agreement will be updated to include the ICCC’s specific
maintenance responsibilities for the commemorative monument.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
There
are no environmental implications to this report.
RURAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no rural implications to this report.
CONSULTATION
A public meeting was held on May 9th, 2011 at
St. Anthony’s Church to present the final redevelopment plan, as well as the
design and text of the Commemorative Monument proposed for Piazza Dante
Park. The park design and monument were
well received by the public in attendance.
COMMENTS BY THE WARD COUNCILLOR
Councillor Holmes is aware of and supportive of the
recommendation of this report.
LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS
There are no legal/risk management impediments to implementing the recommendation in this report.
CITY STRATEGIC PLAN
A Caring and Inclusive City
·
Heritage events, programs and
facilities encourage participation by the city’s entire and diverse population.
·
The City and its community partners
will continue to develop initiatives that target the educational and cultural
needs of specific groups and constituents.
A Creative City, Rich in Heritage, Unique in
Identity
·
By fostering citizen engagement and
increasing available resources, the City and its community partners will have
the capacity to effectively collect, preserve, research and present Ottawa’s
rich history and heritage.
·
Supporting the City Archives program
and initiatives, and investing in a state of the art archival storage facility,
ensures the long-term preservation and presentation of Ottawa’s rich urban and
rural documentary heritage.
·
The designation, preservation and
commemoration of built heritage, natural heritage, burial grounds and
cemeteries, archaeological resources, cultural heritage landscapes, and
streetscapes reinforce Ottawa’s sense of place.
·
Heritage research and innovative
interpretive and educational programs foster creativity by supporting artists,
local historians, community-based heritage projects and performances.
A City of Distinct, Livable Communities
·
The preservation and presentation of
local cultural and natural heritage is recognized as one communities.
·
Communities themselves are the sources
and sites of heritage programs as evidenced in their streetscapes, built
environment, natural heritage, sacred spaces and green areas.
·
Through such means as community design
plans and “complete communities” initiatives, the City will strive to ensure
that all areas, wards and neighbourhoods have adequate facilities or venues to
accommodate and showcase local heritage.
Current
Actions: Provide a culturally appropriate site for the
installation of a Commemorative Monument to
promote knowledge and understanding of the impact of the internment during the
Second World War on the Italian Canadian community in Ottawa and of their
contributions to building a strong Canada during the Post War period, and to contribute
to healing and reconciliation amongst internee descendants.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no financial implications associated with
this report. All costs for preparation,
installation and maintenance of the commemorative monument will be borne by the
Italian Canadian Community Centre.
DISPOSITION
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department
will implement City Council’s direction, with the assistance of the Infrastructure
Services Department.
Document 1
Piazza Dante - Memorial Wall
This Memorial Wall is a
testament to the Italian Canadians of Ottawa for their perseverance, courage,
and loyalty to Canada during the Second World War (1939 - 1945).
With Italy’s declaration of war against the allied forces on June 10, 1940, Canadians
of Italian origin were declared enemy
aliens. Thousands of men and women across Canada were required to
report to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Approximately 630 were sent to internment
camps. Though no charges were ever laid
against them, five Ottawa men of
Italian origin were interned in camps in Petawawa, Ontario and Gagetown, New
Brunswick.
Italian Canadians in Ottawa
participated fully in supporting Canada’s war effort. Many served in Canada’s armed forces and five
Italian Canadians from Ottawa died fighting overseas for their country.
Internees Included Died
in the Line of Duty
Giuseppe Costantini Anthony
Barbaro
Vittorio Sabetta Domenic
Calderone
Carlo Scarabelli
Adrian
Girolami
Gino Tiezzi
Frank
Prosperine
Alfred Menchini
This Memorial Wall was made possible by funding
from of the Government of Canada and the Leadership of the Italian Canadian
Community Centre of the National Capital Region Inc.
DOCUMENT
2
Redevelopment
Plan for Piazza Dante Park
PROPOSED LOCATION
OF COMMEMORATIVE MONUMENT