Historically Commercial Drive has always been an enclave of ethnic Italians and Italian businesses. Prior to the 1930s, most Italian immigrants settled in what is today the Strathcona district; however, by the 1940s and 1950s most Italian immigrants to Vancouver settled in the northern Commercial Drive area, and were widely credited with revitalizing the neighbourhood. Most Italian Canadian busine
sses and cultural facilities located along Commercial Drive and, since Italians were in the majority in the adjacent residential areas, Commercial Drive became a true ethnic Italian neighbourhood. By the 1960s, many Italian businesses also sprang up in the Hastings and Nanaimo area, but the cultural core remained on Commercial Drive. Today, the area is still a vibrant cultural and business centre in eastern Vancouver, with predominantly Italian Canadian businesses, cultural organizations, and people of Italian ancestry congregating on the “Drive”. Commercial Drive is also host to the most popular celebration of Italian Culture in Vancouver, Italian Day on the Drive. In 2014, it was estimated that “Italian Day on the Drive” drew over 350,000 attendees from all over Vancouver. Help us to make it official and send a message to the Vancouver City Council that Commercial Drive must officially be named “Little Italy”. Update: On June 24, 2015, a vote was conducted to designate an 8-block radius of Commercial Drive as Little Italy. Although it initially received soft approval, it was integrated into the Grandview Woodlands review by the then Vision Vancouver majority, potentially delaying the process for years. However, during a subsequent city council meeting on April 6, 2016, Councillor Melissa De Genova took decisive action by pushing for the removal of the Little Italy designation from the Grandview Woodland consultation process. This ensured a timely vote and approval in time for Italian Day 2016. The proposal was unanimously approved, and starting from June 12, 2016, Italian Day, the 8-block radius on Commercial Drive from 4th to Charles will forever be known as Little Italy.
