Italian Community Honours the Victims of Marcinelle

Joe Volpe August 10, 2026

TORONTO – Normally in August one tends to “lighten up” on morose type of news that emphasizes tragedy, discrimination, suffering and systemic injustice – even when they highlight the culture of resiliency. rebuilding and reimagining a better society. However, August 8^th is a particularly significant date for victims of industrialists’ indifference (real or perceived) to the plight of workers on whom they depend or to their basic needs as fellow human beings. More poignantly it is the anniversary of one of the most egregious, catastrophic outcomes of deliberate a “policy” of disdain and dismissiveness towards workers because of their racial origins.

On August 8, 1956, in Marcinelle, Belgium, 262 men – 136 of them Italians – breathed their last as the coal mine in which they worked collapsed, burying them on the on the spot. Compassion did not seem to be in great abundance. These “people” were, after all the “white slaves (a polite substitute for a widely used now verboten word even here in North America) of Europe”.

Ironically, this abuse by the classes that have at the expense of the have not infused energy into a unionist movement and left-leaning social activism to take up the cause of “workers”, even here in Canada. It has become a “badge of honor” for the Italian Diaspora especially here in Canada, where unfortunately too many similar occurrences marred the immigrant experience (see the Hogg’s Hollow tragedy in Toronto).

The Italian Diplomatic Corps has, with few exceptions, made it a practice to be a part of the commemorations (normally organized by the Comites, the National Congress of Italian Canadians and the Patronati) of the tragic event at the monument on the north-west corner of Highway #7 and Islington. Newly installed Consul-General Andrea Bertozzi, accompanied by wife and son, together with the president of the Centre for Italian Language and Culture, Alberta Lai and family led the ceremony.

Members of the Parliament in Italy, senatrice Francesca Lamarca, deputato Christian di Sanzo attended in person, and deputato Di Giuseppe via a prepared statement, were also present. So were several “local” political figures: federal MP Michael Gugliemin, regional Councillors Mario Racco and Gino Rosati as well as the Chair of the York Catholic District School Board, Trustee Maria Iafrate.

There is significant pomp and circumstance associated with the event as befits official Italian Government deferential ceremonies – even in nondomestic lands – provide by Carabinieri, Bersaglieri and Alpini. Even today, seventy years after the catastrophic event, the consequences to the victims elicit and receive recognition. And so it should be.

Here below is a photogallery from the event (photos: Corriere Canadese)

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