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Sunday, June 4, 2023
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1961 A strike
occurred at one of Windsor’s major employers, led by
a small group of Italian Canadians. The company, after the
strike,
issued a directive that no more Italians be hired. Dr. Frank
DeMarco, the company physician, decided that the discriminatory
policy demanded a fight. He called a few of his Italian Canadian
friends who had established themselves in the business and
professional sectors of Windsor, and they met to organize their
opposition to the company’s position. |
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| 1962 |
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Out of necessity and for the fight against discrimination,
the Windsor Italian Professional and Businessmen’s Association
was born.
The first president was Roland Baldassi, an attorney who was
blunt and to the point, and who was widely respected for his
openness and candor. His board of directors included Anthony
Soda, Tony Valente, Tullio Meconi, Al Dottor, Frank Bernacchi
and Angelo Zamparo. The WIPBA donated Italian books to the
Windsor Library and they took the bold step of renting the
Cleary Auditorium to host the North American debut of Windsor’s
own Emilia Cundari, after her triumphant performance at La
Scala, in Milan, Italy. They held an annual Roman Festival,
which included a parade, complete with horse-drawn chariots.
The WIPBA began organizing Civic Night, which was an evening
of thanks to those individuals in elected and administrative
office in Windsor and Essex County. |
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| 1988 |
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Windsor helped form the National Federation of Canadian Italian
Business and Professional Associations, which today has chapters
in Vancouver, Thunder Bay, Sudbury, Windsor, Niagara Falls,
Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, with a chapter forming in Winnipeg. |
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| 1995 |
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Under the leadership of Dr. Domenic Aversa, the constitution
of the WIPBA was changed to allow women members, in recognition
of the fact that many Italian-Canadian women were making a
significant mark on the business and professional sectors of
Windsor and Essex County. |
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| 2000 |
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The constitution was again changed, to name the organization
the Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association
of Windsor, to conform to the names of all the other chapters
of the National federation. |
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| The CIPBA of Windsor has been able to
change with the times, and is still here after more than 40 proud
years, a testament to those early founders of 1962. |
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| CIPBA maintains its Constitutional
Objectives by: |
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Supporting cultural,
educational and charitable endeavours
Representing the Italian Business and Professional Community
of Windsor and Essex County on issues impacting the Italian Community
and/or the Community in general.
Providing a forum for networking amongst the Members of CIPBA
and encouraging the transaction of business amongst members of
CIPBA on a local, national and international level.
Soliciting and receiving donations, bequests, legacies and grants
to establish and maintain a fund or funds.
Disbursing all or part of the capital of the fund or funds and
their income to carry out of the objectives of CIPBA |
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The
opinions and interpretations in this publication are those of the author
and do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Canada. |
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