the calgary italian club organized the community and hired young lawyer darryl raymaker, who petitioned the alberta government to amend the liquor control act. after a nearly three-year fight, the laws were changed to allow individuals to make wine in their homes for personal consumption.
that law is still in effect and raymaker, who became a chair of the calgary police commission, is always welcome for lunch at la cantina.
the history also includes the famous ferrari raffles and italian sportsmen’s dinner fundraisers, as well as supporting numerous charities and community events.
the calgary italian cultural centre, under the management of executive director rafela grossi, remains a member-owned club but is open to all.
notes:
villages calgary, the city’s only fully certified, non-profit, fair-trade marketplace, (formerly ten thousand villages) has a long history of helping marginalized communities around the world. for the past 10 years it has held a certified fair-trade rug event in its shop at 220 crowchild trail n.w. this year’s event, running until oct. 2, offers 200 unique rugs, designed and hand-knotted by adults from several pakistani families in their homes, some with up to 500 knots per inch. natural dyes are made from items such as walnut shells, orange peels, pomegranate skins and tree bark, and are used on wool and silk to make the rugs. “the rugs are a meaningful investment, sales affect the artisan family as well as the buyer’s personal space, and they can last a lifetime,” says serena kolodka, manager of villages calgary.
david parker appears regularly in the herald. read online at calgaryherald.com/business. he can be reached at 403-830-4622 or by email at
info@davidparker.ca
.