Il Centro Archive

1975 – Construction of Italian Cultural Centre begins

Il Centro was the result of a collaborative effort by several regional associations joining together to give birth to the Italian Folk Society of BC which later became the Italian Cultural Centre.

1977 – Official launch of the Italian Language School

Following the mission to promote the Italian language, in 1977 the Italian Language School opened at Il Centro offering Italian classes to children and adults.

1977 – Opening of the Library

In 1977 the library of Il Centro was opened thanks to the numerous donations of books from our community. The result is that today, our library houses one of the largest collections of Italian books and DVDs in the Lower Mainland.

1987 – Construction of Casa Serena

In 1987 the Italian Cultural Centre initiated the construction of Casa Serena, a facility that provides affordable housing to seniors citizen.

1989 – Construction of the Social Wing

In 1989 the expansion of the Italian Cultural Centre was well under way with the addition of the Social Wing that today houses the Osteria, the bocce court and the Trattoria hall.

1995 – Saving of the Gondola

In 1986 during the Vancouver Expo, an original Venetian gondola was brought to Vancouver and was being used as a water taxi.  It is now well displayed in front of the Social Wing at Il Centro as a major artifact.

1998 – Construction of Villa Carital

In 1998 the Italian Cultural Centre promoted and conceived the construction of Villa Carital, an eighty bed Seniors Care Community built and founded by the Carraresi Foundation and the British Columbia Provincial Government.

2006 – Renovation of Grand Ballroom

In 2006 the Italian Cultural Centre completely renovated and remodelled the Main Hall. This facility, equipped with state-of-the-art audio-video technology can host concerts, plays, recitals, conferences, banquets, weddings and bingo.

2008 – Opening of the Museum

In October 2008 Il Museo was opened, Vancouver’s first museum devoted to the city’s Italian community. The first exhibition featured artifacts and stories of our local community.

2015 – Building and Opening of the Community Garden

At the beginning of 2015 the creation of Il Centro’s Community Garden (ICGG) at Beaconsfield Park was conceived and implemented. Besides the community garden, we also have and orchard of fruit trees and an apiary housing beehives filled with Italian Honey Bees.

2016 – Construction and opening of Vancouver’s first Community Bake Oven