Italian Canadians as ‘Enemy Aliens’

Italian Canadians as ‘Enemy Aliens’. . , On June 10, 1940 Italy declared war on Great Britain and its allies. Almost immediately, the Canadian Government, under the War Measures Act, ordered the detention and internment of Canadian citizens of Italian descent who were considered a threat to the safety of Canada., Over 31,000 Italian Canadians were identified as enemy aliens and nearly 600 interned. In Hamilton, 74 Italian Canadians, many of them business leaders and sole sources of family income, were arrested without warning or due process and interned for a period of up to 5 years. Many who were left behind were put under house arrest for the entire period, having to report daily to the local jail. Although lives were disrupted, reputations damaged and incomes jeopardized, not one internee was charged with a crime in any Canadian Court of Law., Today, Canadians of Italian descent continue to be an important and contributing part of Canada's multicultural identity and success. The Italian Canadian community acknowledges Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms: "Everyone has a legal right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned"; a right not recognized in 1940., This plaque was installed to commemorate the Eightieth Anniversary of this event, and to honour and recognize the 74 internees from Hamilton along with their families., The Sons and Daughters of Italy (Trieste Lodge), in partnership with LiUNA., Italian Canadians 1940: 112,625 , Declared Enemy Aliens: 31,000 , Internees: 587 male, 4 female , Canadian Born Internees: 22 ,