World War II | Official apology to Italian Canadians in May

The Canadian Press

The government said in a statement that 600 Italian-Canadian men had been detained in camps in Canada since Italy allied with Germany and joined the war in 1940.

31,000 other Italian Canadians were declared hostile.

Trudeau told the House of Commons on Wednesday that his government would “correct this mistake” with an official apology in May.

In 1988, Canada formally apologized and paid $ 300 million in compensation to Canadians of Japanese descent, 22,000 of whom were detained during World War II camps.

Mr Trudeau did not say whether there would be compensation for Italian Canadians.

He announced plans for an apology in response to a question Wednesday from Liberal MP Angelo Icono.

“During World War II, hundreds of Italian Canadians were captured for the common reason that they were of Italian descent,” Mr Icono told the House of Commons.

“Parents are isolated from their homes, leaving children without their fathers and families without paychecks to keep on their tables. Lives and careers, businesses and reputations are disrupted and ruined, yet no one is responsible.”

“Italo-Canadians have lived with these memories for many years and they deserve to move on.”

Mr Trudeau responded that Canadians of Italian descent “face constant discrimination and stereotypes about the mistakes made by our governments and former institutions, which still affect them today.”