Kelowna Canadian Italian Club
770 Lawrence Avenue V1Y 6L9 Kelowna, BC, Canada

WE HAVE MORE WINNERS!!! The second early membership renewal draw was held at the KCIC Clubhouse last night. These names were drawn for the two remaining gift baskets. The 2 winners were: VINCENZO TOTEDA & NICHOLAS CAGNONI... Congratulations on winning the gift baskets and thank you for renewing your annual membership. Your renewal goes towards supporting the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club in 2021. 2021 Memberships are still available for purchase. Visit our website kelownaitalianclub.com

LA SCUOLA ITALIANA LANGUAGE PROGRAM Online Winter 2021 Language Program registration will be announced soon. Watch our Facebook page and website for more details!

Renew your 2021 membership or apply to become a NEW member to the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club TODAY and your name is entered into a draw for an Italian gift basket! Today is your last day to be eligible for the draw. Visit kelownaitalianclub.com for more information. You can renew by e-transfer, credit card, cheque or hand-delivery to our Clubhouse mailbox at 770 Lawrence Avenue.

Celebrate Italian Cuisine this month - either online or (if you are in Vancouver) in person!

Remembrance Day KCIC is proud to support the Poppy Drive for 2020. We remember those who sacrificed their life to keep us free. Our annual November 11 Remembrance Day luncheon is cancelled for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.... At 11:00am on Wednesday, November 11, we encourage our members to respect a minute of silence in honour of those who served our country in war. Enjoy some photos from our 2019 Remembrance Day luncheon.

Congratulations to KCIC members Rolli Cacchioni and Don Jane Rampone as they are the winners of the membership draw. Members who paid their fees prior to November 1 had their name entered into a draw for one of two beautiful Italian gift baskets. To pay your 2021 membership fee, please visit the KCIC website kelownaitalianclub.com and pay ONLINE or HAND DELIVERY or CANADA POST. WE ALSO ACCEPT E-TRANSFER! To become a NEW member, visit our website to learn more or contact us directly [email protected]. PHOTO: Members Patti DiMaria and Mary Wooldridge made the two draws to determine the winners. Thanks ladies!

LA SCUOLA ITALIANA - Italian Language Program - Fall Registration is now open!

Registration is now open! Visit the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club website kelownaitalianclub.com to enrol. Open to KCIC members and non-members.

Sadly, the pandemic has kept us from gathering and celebrating at the Clubhouse. The members of the KCIC Executive and Board of Directors have continued to keep their promise of managing the clubhouse and club matters during the closure. They continue to meet safely via Zoom and discuss plans for the upcoming months. A common phrase we hear is "we miss seeing our members" and that rings true for many. We look forward to when it will be safe to gather and celebrate toge...ther! Should you have any concerns or comments, please do not hesitate to reach out to us [email protected]. We hope all members and their families are well. "This is our time to be kind, be calm and be safe" -Dr. Bonnie Henry

Thank you to members Lina & Emilio Nanci for submitting these photos from their incredible garden. Members Francesco & Cristiano Arrigioni stopped by for a visit. Emilio also included a picture of his 1 kilogram tomato!

KCIC members Samantha Snook and Mary Wooldridge submitted this photo of tomato salsa processing! Looks good ladies!

Its that time of year when everyone comes in from the sun and enjoys a day of canning and preserving the bountiful harvest from the garden! We love to see our members busily processing fruits and vegetables together with family and friends. Send us your photos for us to share on social media. KCIC members Franco & Romi Marcanio and Craig & Elena Tostenson are processing tomatoes and making sauce together for the year ahead.

To look at all our 2020 First Families, weve posted an index to our site. Again, thanks to Don Rampone for his many hours of work on these features. We hope you enjoyed them as part of Italian Heritage Month in June:

In 2010, then UBCO student Erik Christiansen did a research project on Italian Immigration to Kelowna and the West Kootenays. For this Canada Day, Erik updated his paper with help from Don Rampone and Tara Hurley from the Kelowna Museum Archives. We share it with you as part of our Heritage Series for 2020. The paper is also downloadable in PDF format. Happy Canada Day!

Some of our First Families started with a marriage by proxy, such as Arturo and Teresa Pellegrini. Its hard for us to imagine this today. Teresa lived in Italy - married but alone - for four years before joining Arturo for her new life in a completely foreign land. Theyd be together 42 more years. This is our last First Family feature, but look tomorrow for a special Canada Day history of Italians in Kelowna by guest poster Erik Christiansen

The agricultural success of the Okanagan Valley owes much to those that brought their traditional expertise and methods with them to their new homes. One of those was Tony Borgnetta - profiled in todays First Family feature:

Todays First Family highlights the importance of extended family connections, both in Italy and here in Kelowna. Those family networks led to sponsoring nieces, nephews and cousins to immigrate and also provided them the support needed to start their new lives here. Today we feature the Martinellis:

Todays First Family features another name familiar to the local Italian community and KCIC: The Bazzanas. Since 1924 - multiple generations of the Bazzanas have made the Okanagan their home.

One of the common themes in the stories of many Italian immigrants was their love of Canadas natural gifts. Many were avid hunters and anglers. That was certainly true for todays First Family, the Porcos from Calabria:

An unfortunate page from the history of Italians in Canada becomes part of the story of todays First Family - Giulio and Giovanna Menta.

Today we feature the Russos as our First Family, a familiar name to both the Kelowna Italian community and our club. Rampone, Vecchio, Pucci and many Russos - all branches of a family with common roots in Calabria:

The first time he came to Canada, Angelo helped build a railway. The second time, he brought his wife Teresa and built a future for his family. Todays First Family is the Martins:

Opera, food, wine - and baseball. Todays First Family is a perfect example of how combining cultures creates a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Meet Ferruccio and Umile Guidi and their children:

Celebrate all the major Italian music and performing arts summer festivals:

Happy Fathers Day! Today for our First Family Feature we celebrate two families and two fathers - The Truants:

Kelownas Italian Community would be forever changed when a group of 6 friends from Tuscany decided in 1912 to emigrate to Canada. Today, we feature another of them as our First Family - Pietro Nello and Ersilia Guidi:

Newspaper publisher, Benz dealer, mayor, tie maker and Calona Wines pioneer - all part of Joseph Ghezzis story. Learn the rest in todays First Family feature:

A Special Fathers Day Event - https://www.kelownaitalianclub.com//take-a-trip-to-italy-t

On February 3, 1912 six "amigos" from Italy set sail from Le Havre, France for their new lives. One was Carlo Cavani. Heres more of todays First Family, the Cavanis:

Todays First Family is the Bertuccis. Learn how Tony Bertucci happened to meet his cousin Cesare for the first time when they were at the same Knights of Columbus meeting.

Meet KCICs first President, Sandy Giordano, and his wife Carmela. Today the Giordanos are our First Family:

Todays First Family was also very active in KCIC, along with being well known members of the business community in Kelowna and Lake Country. Today we feature the Vecchios:

Hands up anyone who remembers Porcos Pool Hall. Thats just part of the story of todays first family:

Many Italians made their way to Kelowna after working in mining communities elsewhere. The Mattiodas were among them, farming in Kelowna after spending some time in Boundary Country. Theyre todays First Family:

A Special Virtual Fathers Day Event for Members and Friends of KCIC

Wounded at Vimy Ridge in WWI, John Reorda would return to Kelowna for a 31 year career with the City. Meet John and Carolyn Reorda, todays First Family:

Next time you drive through Summerland or eat at Zias Stonehouse Restaurant, youll be seeing the handiwork of Alfredo Biagioni first hand. Meet Alfredo in todays First Family feature: