Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2021-05-27 10:25:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Ms. Marie-H\u00e9l\u00e8ne Gaudreau (Laurentides\u2014Labelle, BQ)",
        "fr": "Mme Marie-H\u00e9l\u00e8ne Gaudreau (Laurentides\u2014Labelle, BQ)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"6746071\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Mr. Speaker, in its short history, Canada has committed a number of reprehensible acts.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746072\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Just think of first nations and Inuit peoples, who have experienced and continue to experience discrimination, while many communities still do not have access to clean drinking water. Think of the Chinese community, whose members were unfairly taxed upon arrival in Canada and who worked on the railroad in deplorable conditions. Think of Ontario's Regulation 17 to assimilate Franco-Ontarians, and other similar laws passed in other provinces. Think of the Japanese community, whose members were interned during the Second World War.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746073\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Another community that was a victim of abuse by Canada is the Italian-Canadian community. It truly deserves an apology from the federal government. On behalf of the Bloc Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois, I join my colleagues in condemning the treatment of the Italian-Canadian community from 1940 to 1945.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746074\" data-originallang=\"fr\">At that time, Canada had invoked the War Measures Act, which made it possible for the government to intern and discriminate against many Canadians, without a warrant and with the sole justification that they came from a country with which Canada was at war. The government quickly implemented a series of discriminatory measures against its own citizens. That is what happened to Italian Canadians after Canada declared war on Italy on June 10, 1940.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746075\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Overnight, 31,000 Italian Canadians were officially designated as enemy aliens just because they came from Italy. Some of these people had been living in Canada for decades. They were fully integrated into society. They nevertheless became enemies in the eyes of Canada.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746076\" data-originallang=\"fr\">This enemy alien label came with a series of discriminatory measures against these people who, in fact, had committed no crime. Under these measures, anyone born in Italy was required to register with the authorities and report to them monthly, among other restrictions, which prevented them from moving around freely in Canada. The government could even enter their homes, search the premises and seize their property.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746077\" data-originallang=\"fr\">At a time when Canada had a severe labour shortage to contribute to the war effort at the factories, Italian Canadians were living in extreme poverty, often unable to find a simple job.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746078\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Boycotts of businesses owned by Italian Canadians were not uncommon. The government also seized property and ordered the closure of Italian associations. More than 600 Italian Canadians were sent to jail between 1940 and 1945. In Montreal alone, 200 men were interned. These men were imprisoned because they were believed to be sympathizers of Mussolini's fascist regime. Sometimes that was the case. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746079\" data-originallang=\"fr\">The Mussolini regime did indeed use the diaspora to promote its own interests and many Italian nationals, like many other Canadians, were enticed by fascism. Many interned Italian Canadians had no connection to the Mussolini regime; their internment was discriminatory and unfounded.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746080\" data-originallang=\"fr\">If the internment of men was unfair, imagine what their loved ones went through. The stories we heard from families were horrifying. Women, who were often living in poverty, were suddenly left alone with several children, no income and no government assistance. Children died of malnutrition, to the complete indifference of authorities. Some women even had to take on three jobs to put food on the table for their children. Families went months without news of their loved ones in internment camps.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746081\" data-originallang=\"fr\">All of these stories show just how the Government of Canada's policies left lasting scars on an entire community. We cannot remain indifferent to the discrimination experienced by Italian Canadians.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746082\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Today, the government is apologizing to this community, after more than 80 years. On behalf of the Bloc Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois I want to express our appreciation for the significant contribution that Quebec's Italian community has made to Quebec society. Speaking out against their unfair treatment by the government is an essential step to recognizing their contribution to our society.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"6746071\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, le Canada, dans sa courte existence, a commis plusieurs actes r\u00e9pr\u00e9hensibles.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746072\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Pensons aux Premi\u00e8res Nations et \u00e0 la nation inuite qui ont v\u00e9cu et continuent de vivre de la discrimination alors que plusieurs communaut\u00e9s n'ont toujours pas acc\u00e8s \u00e0 de l'eau potable. Pensons aux membres de la communaut\u00e9 chinoise qui ont \u00e9t\u00e9 injustement tax\u00e9s \u00e0 leur arriv\u00e9e au Canada et qui ont travaill\u00e9 sur le chemin de fer dans des conditions d\u00e9plorables. Pensons au R\u00e8glement 17 de l'Ontario pour assimiler les Franco-Ontariens et aux autres lois similaires adopt\u00e9es dans d'autres provinces. Pensons aux membres de la communaut\u00e9 japonaise qui ont \u00e9t\u00e9 intern\u00e9s lors de la Deuxi\u00e8me Guerre mondiale.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746073\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Une autre communaut\u00e9 qui a \u00e9t\u00e9 victime des abus du Canada est bien entendu la communaut\u00e9 italo-canadienne. Cette communaut\u00e9 m\u00e9rite amplement les excuses du gouvernement f\u00e9d\u00e9ral. Au nom du Bloc qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois, je joins ma voix \u00e0 celle de mes coll\u00e8gues pour d\u00e9noncer le traitement qui a \u00e9t\u00e9 r\u00e9serv\u00e9 \u00e0 la communaut\u00e9 italo-canadienne de 1940 \u00e0 1945.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746074\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Le Canada avait alors mis en application la Loi sur les mesures de guerre, lui permettant au passage d'interner et de discriminer de nombreux Canadiens, sans mandat et avec comme seule justification qu'ils \u00e9taient originaires de pays avec lesquels le Canada \u00e9tait en guerre. Le gouvernement a rapidement pris une s\u00e9rie de mesures discriminatoires contre ses propres citoyens. Ce fut le cas pour les Italo-Canadiens apr\u00e8s que le Canada eut d\u00e9clar\u00e9 la guerre \u00e0 l'Italie, le 10 juin 1940.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746075\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Du jour au lendemain, 31 000 Italo-Canadiens ont \u00e9t\u00e9 officiellement d\u00e9sign\u00e9s comme \u00e9trangers ennemis, uniquement parce qu'ils \u00e9taient originaires d'Italie. Certaines de ces personnes habitaient au Canada depuis des d\u00e9cennies. Elles \u00e9taient pleinement int\u00e9gr\u00e9es \u00e0 la soci\u00e9t\u00e9. Pourtant, elles devenaient quand m\u00eame des ennemies aux yeux du Canada.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746076\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Cette d\u00e9signation d'\u00e9trangers ennemis s'accompagnait d'une s\u00e9rie de mesures discriminatoires contre ces gens qui n'avaient pourtant commis aucun crime. Parmi ces mesures, il y avait l'obligation de toutes les personnes n\u00e9es en Italie de s'enregistrer aupr\u00e8s des autorit\u00e9s; on leur imposait des contr\u00f4les mensuels et des restrictions visant \u00e0 les emp\u00eacher de se d\u00e9placer librement au Canada. Le gouvernement pouvait m\u00eame entrer chez les gens et mener des perquisitions de biens.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746077\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Alors que le Canada manquait d\u00e9sesp\u00e9r\u00e9ment de main-d'\u0153uvre pour contribuer \u00e0 l'effort de guerre dans les usines, des Italo-Canadiens vivaient dans l'extr\u00eame pauvret\u00e9, souvent incapables de trouver un simple emploi.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746078\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Les boycottages contre les entreprises d\u00e9tenues par les Italo-Canadiens \u00e9taient fr\u00e9quents. Le gouvernement a aussi fait des saisies et a ordonn\u00e9 la fermeture d'associations italiennes. Il y a \u00e9galement eu l'emprisonnement de plus de 600 Italo-Canadiens entre 1940 et 1945. \u00c0 Montr\u00e9al seulement, 200 hommes ont \u00e9t\u00e9 intern\u00e9s. Ces hommes \u00e9taient emprisonn\u00e9s, car on les croyait sympathiques au r\u00e9gime fasciste de Mussolini; c'\u00e9tait parfois le cas.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746079\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Le r\u00e9gime de Mussolini se servait effectivement de la diaspora pour favoriser ses int\u00e9r\u00eats personnels et plusieurs ressortissants italiens, comme plusieurs autres Canadiens, se sont laiss\u00e9 s\u00e9duire par le fascisme. Beaucoup d'Italo-Canadiens intern\u00e9s n'avaient aucun lien avec le r\u00e9gime de Mussolini, et leur internement \u00e9tait discriminatoire et sans fondement.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746080\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Si l'internement des hommes \u00e9tait injuste, imaginons les difficult\u00e9s v\u00e9cues par leurs proches. Les t\u00e9moignages qui nous ont \u00e9t\u00e9 transmis par les familles nous glacent le sang. Des femmes qui, souvent, vivaient dans la pauvret\u00e9 se retrouvaient soudainement seules avec plusieurs enfants, sans revenu et sans aide gouvernementale. Des enfants sont morts de malnutrition, dans l'indiff\u00e9rence compl\u00e8te des autorit\u00e9s. Certaines femmes devaient m\u00eame avoir trois emplois pour s'assurer que leurs enfants puissent manger. Des familles \u00e9taient sans nouvelles, pendant des mois, de leurs proches d\u00e9tenus.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746081\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Toutes ces histoires nous d\u00e9montrent \u00e0 quel point les politiques du gouvernement canadien ont laiss\u00e9 de profondes cicatrices \u00e0 toute une communaut\u00e9. Nous ne pouvons pas rester indiff\u00e9rents \u00e0 la discrimination v\u00e9cue par les Italo-Canadiens.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"6746082\" data-originallang=\"fr\">Aujourd'hui, le gouvernement pr\u00e9sente des excuses \u00e0 cette communaut\u00e9, apr\u00e8s plus de 80 ans. Au nom du Bloc qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois, je souhaite r\u00e9it\u00e9rer \u00e0 la communaut\u00e9 italo-qu\u00e9b\u00e9coise toute notre reconnaissance pour son important apport \u00e0 la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 qu\u00e9b\u00e9coise. D\u00e9noncer leur traitement injuste par le gouvernement est une \u00e9tape essentielle de la reconnaissance de leur contribution \u00e0 notre soci\u00e9t\u00e9.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2021/5/27/marie-helene-gaudreau-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/marie-helene-gaudreau/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4547/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "11338986",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Routine Proceedings",
        "fr": "Affaires Courantes"
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Apology for the Internment of Italian Canadians During World War II",
        "fr": "Les excuses pour l'internement d'Italo-Canadiens durant la Deuxi\u00e8me Guerre mondiale"
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2021/5/27/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2021%2F5%2F27%2F"
    }
}