A Champion for the Italian-Canadian Community

The riding of Vaughan-Woodbridge, and the City of Vaughan are home to the largest community of Italian-Canadians.

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• Canada is home to approximately 1.6 million Canadians of Italian heritage, and

• Italy is one of Canada’s top ten trading partners with nearly $16 billion in two-way trade –2023.

 

As a proud Canadian of Italian heritage, since being elected in 2015, I have worked tirelessly to strengthen the ties between our two nations. For the last eight years, we have made tremendous progress in our  relationship, and I am proud to have played a critical part in these achievements.

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 I. Investing in the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario (ICCO)

On November 23, 2024, I joined the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) at the 2024 Unico Primo Pentola D’Oro Awards to announce an exciting $375,000 investment in the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Ontario (ICCO). This funding will enable the delivery of the CAMERA project — an initiative hub where Canadian and Italian businesses can collaborate with access to the tools, mentorship, and resources they need to thrive in the Canadian market.

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II. A new Canada-Italy Youth Mobility Agreement

In November 2022, I joined the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister to announce this revised agreement. Under the new agreement, Canadian and Italian youth now have more options and a longer stay of up to two years. This applies for international work and travel experience through the International Experience Canada Program (IEC). The IEC program allows Canadian and Italian youth to work and travel in the two countries.

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III. Advancing Economic Growth through Collaboration (CETA

Since the signing of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive  Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in 2017, Italian goods have found an even greater presence in Canadian markets, from artisanal cheeses and wines to advanced manufacturing products.

CETA’s implementation has opened doors for Canadian businesses to export their products to Italy, fostering an economic partnership that benefits both nations. Again, boosting two-way trade to nearly $16.0 billion!

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IV.  Reopening the Canadian Consulate in Milan, Italy 

In 2019, on behalf of the Government of Canada, I announced that our government would reopen the        Canadian Consulate in Milan, Italy as part of its commitment to enhance Canada’s global trade presence. On  October 10, 2023, we fulfilled that commitment with Canada’s Ambassador, Elissa Golberg, officially inaugurating our new Consulate with more than 200 guests.

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V. A Vision for the Future

On June 15, 2024, Canada and Italy signed the Italy-Canada Roadmap for Enhanced Cooperation.

 

This roadmap focuses on shared priorities like clean energy, climate action, artificial intelligence, and food security. Canadians stand to benefit from bilateral research initiatives, youth mobility programs, cultural   exchanges, and stronger trade and investment ties. Now is the time to seize the moment and further strengthen   the Italy-Canada friendship.