Fioravante (Fred) Tenisci was one of five men who spent time at all three of Canada's internment camps during the Second World War (Government of Canada).

By Aaron Schulze

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KAMLOOPS — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that in May, the federal government will formally apologize for the treatment of Italian-Canadians during the Second World War (WWII).

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, 600 Italian-Canadian men were interned in camps after Italy allied with Germany in 1940. Nearly another 31,000 additional Italian-Canadians were declared enemy aliens.

There are Kamloops residents of Italian-Canadian descent who lived through WWII, or had ancestors who did, and shared their stories with CFJC Today. Some said a formal apology from the federal government would be greatly appreciated, and others said while it would be the right thing to do, they don’t feel one is necessary. The entire three-part series can be found here.

Between his arrest on June 10, 1940 and his release on Sept. 2, 1943, Ron Tenisci’s father Fioravante (Fred) was one of five men who spent time at all three internment camps — Kananaskis, Alta., Camp Petawawa in Ontario and Minto, N.B.

Ron said his father knew why he was arrested and interned. Living in Trail, Fred was viewed as a potentially dangerous enemy alien with fascist connections, as he supported the fascist movement in Italy and embraced Benito Mussolini, the country’s prime minister at the time. Fred also submitted articles for L’Eco italo-canadese – an Italian-language newspaper that published pro-fascist content.

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However, Fred’s approval for Mussolini evaporated after Italy allied with Nazi Germany in WWII.

“Because of his involvement, they tried to conscript him in the Canadian Army,” Ron told CFJC Today. “He said, ‘I will join the army. As long as I’m not forced to fight against my countrymen. If you give me that guarantee, I will join.’ They said it wouldn’t work that way, so he got interned.”

According to Ron, his father talked positively about his time in the internment camps. Fred said the Italian- and German-Canadians weren’t treated roughly or shown animosity, and they were fed properly.

“Because he was musically inclined, he ended up forming a choir in the camp. At one point, they were so good, they sang in front of the prime minister (William Lyon Mackenzie King),” Ron laughed.

Once Fred was released from camp, he returned to Trail and married his wife Emilia (Emily) in 1945. They went on to have 10 children.

Fred did not wear external scars from his time in internment. Psychologically, however, Ron said his father’s view on embracing his Italian culture took a drastic change shortly after his release.

“He refused to speak the Italian language,” Ron said. “He wanted to learn [English] so perfectly that he got rid of his accent so that people wouldn’t associate him with being one of these Italian immigrants that they don’t like.

“It affected him to the point where he thought the entire country disliked Italians. He had to do what he thought the country would make him do in order for him to be wanted or accepted.”

Ron added he and his siblings didn’t learn how to speak Italian.

Despite the challenges post-internment, Ron said his father flourished and had a good life raising his family and working a shift boss job at the local smelter in Trail.

Eventually, Fred and the Teniscis did reconnect with their Italian heritage.

“He became the leader of the Italians in Trail, in a good way,” Ron said. “He became the counselor agent for the Italian government in the West Kootenays. He did passports; brought people back and forth from the old country. He kept up all his cultural stuff because he was with Italians all the time. He belonged to the Colombo Lodge in Trail… we used to go to the banquets.”

Fred passed away on April 16, 1980.

Feelings on a formal apology

Ron said he and one of his brothers – both in their 70s – discussed about how they’d feel about a formal apology to Italian-Canadians for the treatment they received during WWII.

While he said it’s not necessary, Ron figured it’s the best thing for the government to do.

“It’s not going to right a bunch of wrongs. But we don’t look upon it as being wrong at the time,” Ron said. “We were in the state of war and the Italians were fighting against our country. We’re okay with what happened. I really can’t speak for the other families because I didn’t have any exposure to people that were in that position, because I was just a little kid.”

Ron believes Canada and Italy have come a long way since WWII, adding that it was common growing up for the Teniscis and other Italian-Canadian families to visit their home country over the summer.