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Monday, October 2, 2023
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The name “Fogolar” is derived from
the Friuli region of the northern Italy, bordered by Yugoslavia
and Austria, surrounded by the Alps, and made up of four
provinces: Udine, Pordenone, Gorizia, and Trieste.
“Fogolar” represents the fireplace
which was the centre of family |
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life. “Furlan” is the name of the people who originated in the Friuli region; they possess a lifestyle
and a language all their own. |
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1961 |
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April 14th - Birth of the Fogolar Furlan of Windsor
with 23 members. Worldwide, this was the 48th Fogolar Furlan
to be formed. The first had been formed in 1930, and now there
are approximately 218 throughout the world. The Fogolar Furlan
of Windsor has grown to over 800 members, some of which are
from the third generation. |
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1962 |
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The first Spring Banquet took place and it was attended by
300 people. Also, The Fogolar Furlan Men’s Choir was
established, which became known as the Italian Men’s
Choir in 1968. |
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1964 |
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The Fogolar Furlan of Windsor was incorporated under the
laws of Ontario on November 14th. Earlier in the year a track
of land was purchased at 1800 E. C. Row Avenue in what was
then known as Sandwich East. At this time, the Fogolar Furlan
Tug of War Team was established as the first sports team, and
over the years they won many competitions. It was followed
by the Men’s Bocciofila Team, and Soccer, Hockey, Bowling,
Ladies Shuffleboard and the Women’s Bocciofila teams. |
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1965 |
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Spring - The ground breaking ceremony was held on the newly
acquired property. Professor Ottavio Valerio, President of
the Ente Friuli nel Mondo was assisted by Remo Moro, President
of the Fogolar Furlan, in turning the symbolic first spade.
Before the cold weather set in, a foundation was laid for a
building, which was to be used during the Fogolar picnics and
for small gatherings. |
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1966 |
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The original building was completed and it contained the
kitchen, a refrigerator room, a bar and a stock room, as well
as two washrooms. Adjoining the central room was the “rotunda” which
contained two fireplaces that added to the beauty of the interior
and served a functional purpose. A “barbeque” was
built to the west of the “rotunda” to be used for
picnics. The first picnic was held in the spring with numerous
people attending. Food, music and games were available for
all to enjoy, as well as dancing on the outdoor platform. Presently,
the rotunda serves as the Member’s Bar and is often used
for small parties. |
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1967 |
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A new 5,000 square foot hall was begun, and the sixth Annual
Banquet was held on May 31st in the unfinished hall. Work continued
through the summer and upon completion, the official grand
opening was held on September 16th with government officials
joining in the celebration. The exterior of the building was
adorned with a series of brick arches. The names of the deceased
members were placed on the southern arch, while the symbol
of Canada’s Centennial was placed on the eastern arch,
both being located next to the entrance of the building. Large
and small trees and a green carpet of grass created a welcoming
atmosphere for members and guests. With the new hall, also came
the first Children’s Christmas party, which still continues
to this day. Besides the new hall, a small restaurant was created
by adding an extension to the rotunda. At this time a number
of women formed the Ladies’ Shuffleboard team and, over
time, they evolved to become the Fogolar Furlan’s Women’s
Association. |
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1967/68 |
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The coming construction of the E. C. Row Expressway resulted
in expropriation of land from the Club but also the addition
of land to the East, all of which benefited both the Club and
the City of Windsor. |
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1968 |
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The Hunters’ Group, which formed in 1961, held their
first annual banquet at the Fogolar. They provided the wild
meat for the meal. This tradition continues today and the
hall was decorated in a hunting theme. |
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1970 |
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The Dante Costa Hall, with its decorative ceiling,
was the Club’s second major expansion along with a new
kitchen. Also, in this year, the entrance to the club property
was built.
It features the ‘Ciavedal’, the iron work for the
fogolar (fireplace), which is the centre of the Friulian home. |
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1972 |
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An enclosure was added to the outdoor dance platform, thereby
rendering it useful as a bar during the summer months, and
for small parties. The Miss Fogolar Furlan Club Beauty Pageant
was started in the same year. |
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1974 |
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Three hundred evergreens were planted on the property to provide year
round greenery. A storage garage was built to the north-west
of the central building to house machinery and equipment for
the various Fogolar sports teams. The women’s shuffleboard
games became an outdoor activity, the play area
being built next to the outdoor platform. |
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1976 |
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The Scholarship Program was established, and
has evolved into the Fogolar Furlan Post Secondary Financial
Awards Program, designed to provide awards for any graduate
entering any worldwide post secondary accredited program. They
are awarded to members, or their spouses, or their children
at the Member’s Christmas Banquet. Presently there are
six awards given out, some of which are in memory of deceased
members. May 6th of 1976 also marked the devastating earthquake
in the Friuli region of Italy. The Fogolar Furlan was the first
to initiate fund raising for the victims and, in a brief time,
were joined by the other clubs in the area and eventually across
Canada. |
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1977 |
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The City of Windsor and the City of Udine were “twinned”.
As a result of the new association between the Club, the City
of Udine and the City of Windsor, the latter created a small
park near the Club, calling it “Udine Park”. It
is a symbolic gesture that is much appreciated by the Furlans
in the area. The five hundred members approved
a further expansion to the Club, along with redecoration of
the present halls. |
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1978 |
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The Alpini Association erected a monument on the Fogolar
grounds. While they are a separate group, they make their home
with the Fogolar and, each September, they have a Mass in honour
of their deceased members, followed by their
annual banquet. |
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1978/79 |
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A new addition was started, which is now known as the Canada
Hall and the Friuli Hall. It features the foyer, designed to
resemble the old houses of the Friuli, with a verandah looking
down into the courtyard. A niche on the east side has the fogolar
(the heart of the Friulian home), surrounded by wooden benches
on three sides and a magnificent “Ciavedal” (iron
work) stands on the structure. The terrazzo floor has five
converging circles. Three represent the provinces of Udine,
Gorizia and Pordenone, and the other two represent Friuli,
with its eagle, and the City of Windsor. Typical Furlan scenes
on the west wall depict the planting and harvesting. Taking
two years to complete, this project was achieved through donated
equipment and labour, an ongoing tradition which continues
today. |
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1981 |
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The 20th Anniversary of the Club was celebrated on May 30th,
with the grand opening of the new facilities. Local and national
dignitaries attended along with representatives of the Ente
Friuli nel Mondo, and from the Friuli Region. The Sports Complex,
now known as the Udine Complex, was started at this time and
completed in 1985. Initially it housed the Bocce Courts, gymnasium,
shower and sauna facilities, a tennis and racquetball court,
and a weight room. There was also a mezzanine where a bar and
eating area could be found. Today, it has the bocciofila courts,
a small room for meetings, and the gym. The mezzanine is now
a hall that has proven quite popular with our clients. |
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1982 |
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The Fogolar Furlan Women’s Association was formed and
on December 14th, 1983, they became officially independent
with their own constitution, while remaining under the umbrella
of the main Club. The women are dedicated to promoting the
Furlan culture, supporting the Children’s Choir, the “Gotis
di Rosade”, and have provided equipment for the former
playground, volunteers for the Children’s Summer
Day Camp, Carnevale, the former Young Peoples' Dance Group,
plus the Children’s Christmas Party. Further activities
include bazaars, bingos, fashion shows, garage sales and routine
visits to various Nursing Homes. The Women’s Association
has the Friendship Group under its wings. This group meets
each Wednesday afternoon,
and is involved in various sewing and craft projects, such
as the costumed dolls and rose bouquets, and the costumes
for the children’s
choir. They also knit and crochet for the Children’s
Aid Society, the Neonatal Unit and the Cancer Society. |
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1982 |
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The Fogolar Furlan Children’s Choir, “Gotis di
Rosade” (Dew Drops), was established to keep the furlan culture
alive through traditional folk songs and costumes. Children
five years of age and up are welcome to join regardless of their
singing ability, for what is important is the outcome - young
citizens with an enhanced self-image, who have learned to work
in a group to create a positive outcome. While they learn about
the culture of Friuli, it also fosters affection for the
Club. This in turn leads them into becoming employees, and
eventually active members of the club “family”.
Some go on to join the board and/or various committees. |
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1986 |
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The Club celebrated its 25th Anniversary with a banquet
and the publication of its 25 year history. |
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1987 |
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An exhibit was held at the Club: Mostra della Civilta Friulana
di Ieri e di Oggi. (Societa Filologica Friulana, 1983, Udine.
Giuseppe Bergamini and Manilo Michelutti. Fogolar’s Federation
of Canada). |
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1989 |
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About this time, a number of volunteers came together to
form the Gardeners’ Group. They are still going strong
today, beautifying the grounds from spring to autumn. Some
of these seniors are joined by other volunteers to decorate
the Club for the Christmas Season. |
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1995/96 |
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The Fogolar Furlan Library was established in the Cultural
Centre. A collection of books, photos, electronic media, artifacts
and archival records provide students with material for school
projects, and enjoyment for the members. At present, it is
being re-organized to function as a catalogued collection. |
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2000 |
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Yet another project was begun in anticipation of the 40th
Anniversary: The Memorial Chapel, to remember all of the beloved
deceased members, plus 175 trees were planted in the memorial
garden. |
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2001 |
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The 40th Anniversary of the Club was celebrated with ceremonies,
good food and music. |
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2002 |
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Father’s Day Celebration. After the mass, a small ceremony
took place at the Memorial Chapel. There was a blessing by
Monsignor Marcuzzi, of Italy, and Father Feccia, from St. Angela’s
Church. Our choir, “Gotis di Rosade”, sang the
three national anthems: “O Canada”, “Inno
d' Italia” and “Un Salut a le Furlanie”,
in honour of this occasion and dedications were read both
in English and Friulian. The ribbon cutting followed, and the
children placed a basket of flowers in the little chapel. |
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2003 |
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The building of a state-of-the-art kitchen was begun. The
space that became available from the dismantling of the existing
kitchen, was used for additional storage and to create a main
hallway to facilitate the delivery of food from the new kitchen
to all of the existing halls. Also, an extension to the second
floor (which houses the Cultural Centre and the Alpine Room)
created by the building of the kitchen, provides storage area,
work space for volunteers, and winter shuffleboard games. |
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2004 |
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The Father’s Day Mass took place in the Canada and
Friuli Halls, at 11:30 a.m., during which the names of the
deceased members were read. After the Mass, there was a ribbon
cutting ceremony and blessing of the new kitchen. This was
followed by a delicious buffet style luncheon. |
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Fogolar Furlan of Windsor History - Abbreviated & Updated
from previously written histories found in Anniversary Books -
May 2004 |
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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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