About the Collection

Help Us Grow Our Collection

Within each handwritten diary, document and photograph resides a story; a personal narrative of people and events often long forgotten. Whose elegant penmanship graces these pages? Who is the young woman smiling on the front steps? How did these objects survive? What did they mean to those who created them and, later on, to those who saved them? As these objects pass through time and into new hands, the stories and histories embedded in them begin to fade. It is through the act of remembering and sharing these memories with others that the stories engrained in these objects are given new purpose.

Do you have any personal or family objects related to the Italian Canadian World War II experience that you would like to share with us?

Some examples:

• Handwritten letters between family members directly affected by the internment;
• Objects created or produced by those in the internment camps;
• Family photographs of Italian Canadians who were designated enemy aliens or discriminated against from 1940 to 1945;
• Government documents and Prisoner of War cards related to the internment;
• Publications or other print documents of the period.

As the largest Italian Canadian community centre in Canada, we aim to create the most comprehensive archival database on this important period in Canadian World War II history.  Any personal objects and their accompanying stories that you would like to donate will be added to this digital archive.

To share your story or to donate an object, contact us, or visit us online and “Join the Discussion.”