Everyone needs a community; a place to belong. For Italian immigrants who have arrived in Powell River since the turn of the century, those who came before them provided the support and camaraderie needed to feel welcome in a new town.
For the past 80 years, those of Italian descent have gathered at Powell River Italian Community Club. Since it was formed on October 24, 1937, the club has served as a base for Italians to gather and socialize. Since then, the club has expanded to include the rest of the public, Italian or not, to share in the rich history and culture of Italy.
With a few key functions per year, including the upcoming annual anniversary dinner and dance on Saturday, October 14, the club has remained strong through the years.
Membership in what became a non-profit society in 1963 is currently estimated at 250 members and younger people have continued to join the club, some of them third-generation members.
A huge turning point for the Italian club came in 1964 when it was able to secure land from then-owner of the mill, MacMillan Bloedel, and build its own community hall.
According to current club president Ken Culos, some of his fondest memories growing up were from the hall on Lund Highway just outside of Wildwood.
"As a kid, I would go to all the dances because our parents would bring us; it was mostly the Italian immigrants who ran it," says Ken. "They worked hard and they loved to party, eat, drink and dance, and play bocce."
The bocce courts, which have now grown over, used to be packed with Italians.
Ken spent his formative years enjoying the club's activities. It was not until much later that he followed in his family's footsteps by taking an active role in the club.
"When I retired, it made it easier for me," says Ken, "and they needed help, so I was happy to do it."
Ken's cousin Tony Culos was instrumental in establishing important changes to the society to allow women and non-Italian members, a point of pride for him and longtime member and former president Elio Cossarin.
"It was a chauvinist organization and my wife found it very irritating when she asked if she could be a member and she could not because she was both a woman and non-Italian," said Tony. "In our chauvinist ways, we only allowed women to come and cook for us. So I started working on that with Elio right away. We had quite a few people quitting the club at that time because they thought we were destroying the values."
Once the club passed the motion to open up membership, it allowed everyone in the community the chance to discover Italian heritage, keeping the club's membership strong.
"It's important to keep our heritage alive, so the stories and traditions of the many families who immigrated to Powell River continue to be remembered and celebrated," says member Jackie Milsom, who is Cossarin's daughter and one of the main organizers of the club's upcoming anniversary dance. "Italian culture is rich in Powell River and I want to see its presence continue to be an important part of our community."
Cossarin emigrated from Italy in 1950 when he was 17. He has been one of the most prominent members of the club over the years and first became president in 1961. He said the club was an immediate haven for him and the best way to meet other Italians.
"When you come here as an immigrant, you don't have money to buy a car, so you can't get around," said Cossarin. "The club had a bus that came around the different neighbourhoods to pick up people for the activities and you would meet people there. If people were not on your shift at the mill, you never saw them except for at those functions."
Cossarin and Tony, who came to Powell River in 1966, both came from Friuli, a region in northeastern corner of Italy. In fact, their families lived in the same small hometown.
Once Tony arrived, he said he immediately gravitated toward the club. He added that rivalries between regions in Italy did not carry over once Italians arrived in the small city of Powell River. People from all parts of Italy banded together, he said.
"Back in Italy, we used to poke fun at each other and found it hard to socialize with people from other parts of Italy," said Tony. "Here, right from the beginning, we were able to work together with people from different regions with no problems whatsoever."
While many members of the club have been with it for more than 50 years, there has been a constant influx of younger members and, according to Ken, Powell River Italian Community Club is here to stay.
"There was a lot of speculation over the years that we wouldn't last very long, but we defied all of that," said Ken. “If the club wasn't there when I first came here in 1996, I still would have survived, but it was nice to have a community like that to hold onto."
An Italian history in Powell River
From the turn of the century, Italians have lived and worked in Powell River, even before the opening of Powell River Company's mill. Below are some Italian highlights throughout the years.
[Notes courtesy of Tony Culos, Powell River Peak, October 23, 1997]
Italians lived here at the turn of the century in the Moodyville Saw Company logging camp, which was set up in 1883 at the old hospital site in Townsite.
The first Italian loggers occupied bachelor suites at Riverside in rudimentary shacks specially created by Powell River Company to accommodate European workers as early as 1910.
In 1912, early Italian pioneer Joe Errico start his own dairy business to distribute milk to the community.
Also in 1912, with start of paper machines 1 and 2, a small group of Italian immigrants secured permanent jobs at the mill.
After the startup of paper machines 3 and 4, neighbourhoods of Wildwood, Cranberry and Westview were formed with Italians taking up residence in the different areas.
The Culos family built the first Italian-style house in Powell River in 1923, known as the "Roman Villa," which is a heritage landmark to this day.
In Cranberry, Joe Derton opened the first barber shop and billiard hall, Antonio Culos opened the first dairy business and Augusto Bosa opened the first grocery store.
In the 1920s, Italians excelled at local sports, including baseball, cycling and running, as well as joining musical organizations such as choirs and bands.
Italian Benevolent Society was formed in 1924 and the Italian float organized by the society won best float at the annual July 1 celebration.
Powell River Italian Community Club was founded on October 24, 1937, at a special meeting presided by Joe Derton.
At the onset of World War II, the Italian club kept a low profile and club functions were recessed during the war years.
A Centenary Dance in 1961 celebrating 100 years of Italian unification was attended by more than 300 people at Dwight Hall, including dignitaries from the community and the Italian consulate.
Over the years, the club organized bingo and card games, film nights, hunting and fishing derbies and other sporting events, including the very popular bocce games.
In 1963, the club was legally registered in the Societies Act as a non-profit organization.
In 1964, the club finally realized its dream to construct its own social and recreational hall after acquiring a piece of land along the Lund Highway in Wildwood from MacMillan Bloedel and Powell River Ltd. Work on the hall and two bocce courts on its grounds began in April 1964 and was completed in the spring of 1965.
In 1987, the constitution and bylaws of the society were updated to expand membership to non-Italian spouses and third-generation Italians, as well as the right for women members to occupy executive positions.
In 1989, Rina Cappiello was elected the first woman president of the club and served two consecutive terms.
In 2013, the constitution and bylaws of the society were again changed to allow any non-Italians to be members of the club, effectively making it open to the public.
As of 2017, Powell River Italian Community Club has approximately 250 members.
