Casa D'Italia-CCPI

What Casa D'Italia-CCPI does

Casa d'Italia is a non-profit Italian-Canadian community organization founded on November 1, 1936, operating as the primary cultural reference point for the Italian-Canadian community in Quebec. It is housed in a historic 1936 Art Deco building at 505 Rue Jean-Talon Est in Montreal's Little Italy, directly across from the Jean-Talon Metro station. The organization was closed during WWII (1940-1946) when the building was seized and occupied by the Canadian Army following arrests of Italian community members under 'enemy alien' provisions, before being returned to the community on January 1, 1947 through a Private Bill in Quebec's Legislative Assembly. In 2017, Italian President Sergio Mattarella visited during a State visit celebrating Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation.

The organization operates as a cultural hub providing five integrated service lines: (1) cultural programming including concerts, art exhibitions, film screenings, and galas; (2) Italian language courses for children from kindergarten to secondary school, delivered in 27-week Saturday sessions through partnerships with CESDA and MAECI; (3) the Italian-Canadian Archives of Quebec, a specialized archival facility preserving documentary heritage of the Italian-Canadian community; (4) venue rental across multiple spaces (Hall of Celebration, Hall of Memory, Rotonda, multimedia room, boardroom, classrooms, commercial kitchen); and (5) community services including food collection and distribution programs and crisis response. Weekly cinema operations run Wednesday through Sunday via a partnership with CinemaPublic. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and operates with minimal paid staff (Director General, Administrative Secretary, Art Gallery Curator) supplemented by volunteers.

Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of membership subscriptions (Regular C$150/year, 65+ C$75/year, Student C$75/year), event ticket sales (C$10-C$750 depending on event), space rental (quote-based), donations and capital campaigns (notably supported by the Saputo family), and government-partnered language courses. The organization maintains strategic partnerships with Italian government institutions (MAECI, ENIT, Istituto Italiano di Cultura Montreal), Italian-Canadian federations (Ordre des Fils et Filles d'Italie), academic institutions (LUISS, Centro Studi Canadesi di Messina), local schools (Vanier College, École Honoré-Mercier), and commercial partners (CinemaPublic, VMG Entertainment). Membership pricing, event ticketing, and venue rental use Canadian dollars, and the geographic scope is exclusively Quebec.

Name

Casa D'Italia-CCPI

Legal name

Casa d'Italia

Website

https://casaditalia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Casa d'Italia is a non-profit Italian-Canadian community organization founded in 1936 in Montreal, serving as the primary cultural hub for Quebec's Italian diaspora through cultural events, Italian language courses, the Italian-Canadian Archives of Quebec, venue rentals, and community services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Cultural Services

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Museums (712110), Historical Sites (71212)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Centers & Community Cultural Organizations (BPAGAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Centers & Multidisciplinary Arts Institutions (THAJADAJ), Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI), Community & Cultural Screenings (Museums, Cultural Centers) (MPADAKAH), Screening Rooms & Cinematheques (Nonprofit/Institutional) (MPADAKAF)

Keywords

• Community cultural center
• Italian language courses
• Cultural event venue
• Community archival services
• Nonprofit membership programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership subscriptions providing access to cultural events, advance tickets, priority seating, and voting rights at Annual General Assembly. Three tiers: Regular (C$150/year), 65+ (C$75/year), Student (C$75/year).
2. Event Tickets and Galas: Revenue from ticket sales to cultural events, concerts, film screenings, galas, and celebrations. Annual major gala (Gala Casa d'Italia) with ticket prices ranging C$75-C$750. Smaller events ranging C$15-C$50.
3. Space Rental: Rental income from Hall of Celebration, Hall of Memory, Rotonda, multimedia room, boardroom, classrooms, and kitchen facilities. Used for community events, weddings, conferences, and private celebrations.
4. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations, capital campaign contributions, and fundraising events. Major donors include Lino and Mirella Saputo. 2022 fundraiser to save the Casa. Ongoing capital campaign.
5. Italian Language Courses: Revenue from Italian language and culture courses for children (kindergarten to secondary), provided in partnership with CESDA and MAECI. 27-week courses on Saturday mornings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Casa d'Italia-CCPI operates a non-profit Italian heritage and cultural center in Montreal offering community programming, language courses, cultural events, exhibitions, film screenings, venue rentals, and an Italian-Canadian archival/biblioteca service. It serves the Italian-Canadian community and the broader Montreal public through cultural programming, heritage preservation, and community gathering functions housed in a 1936 heritage building.

Product overview

Casa d'Italia is Montreal's first Italian community centre, founded in 1936, operating as a cultural hub that provides Italian language education, venue rentals, community archives, food assistance programs, and organizes cultural events including exhibitions, concerts, film screenings, and annual galas. The organization offers membership programs with tiered pricing and maintains dedicated spaces including the Hall of Celebration, Hall of Memory, Rotonda, and art gallery available for rental.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Casa d'Italia Cultural Events and Concerts Italian cultural events, concerts, and community gatherings hosted at the Casa d'Italia building for the Italian-Canadian community and the broader Montreal public.
• Italian Language Courses Italian language instruction offered through the center's language school facilities for adult learners and community members seeking Italian language proficiency.
• Italian-Canadian Community Archives and Library (Biblioteca) Archival collection preserving Italian-Canadian heritage materials, including historical documents, photographs, biblioteca holdings, and community records accessible to researchers, students, and community members.
• CinemaPublic Film Screenings Italian and international film screenings hosted through Cinema Public programming at the Casa d'Italia venue for community members and Montreal film audiences.
• Art Gallery and Exhibitions Art gallery hosting Italian and Italian-Canadian artist exhibitions on the premises of Casa d'Italia-CCPI, accessible to visitors and community members.
• Venue and Banquet Hall Rental Rental of the historic Casa d'Italia premises for weddings, corporate events, private celebrations, community functions, and cultural performances in central Montreal.
• Annual Membership Program Annual membership program granting members access to Casa d'Italia-CCPI programming, events, and community participation rights.

Quantifiable outcome

• Served as community anchor for 90 years (1936-2026), hosting thousands at annual celebrations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• CESDA (Centre d'Enseignement et de Services pour le Développement de l'Apprentissage)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Italian language and culture courses for children from kindergarten to secondary. Courses run 27 weeks, 2.5 hours on Saturday mornings at Casa d'Italia. Includes cultural exchanges within Italian scholastic structures.
• MAECI (Ministero degli Affari Esteri - Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian government partnership for Italian language courses (co-provider) and ITALEA tourism promotion project. Supports cultural programming and Italian heritage preservation abroad.
• ENIT (Italian National Tourist Board)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Italian regional tourism promotion. Hosted Liguria and Tuscany tourism promotion events. ITALEA project promoting Roots Tourism (Turismo delle Radici) connecting diaspora with Italian regions.
• Istituto Italiano di Cultura MontrealcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration for cultural events including concerts (Gavino Murgia jazz concert), film screenings ('Interdit aux chiens et aux italienne'), and cultural programming.
• Centro Studi Canadesi di MessinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration hosting webinars on plurilinguism and identity, Italian-Canadian literature, and gastronomic migrations. Partnered with Canadian Embassy in Rome and Italian universities.
• LUISS (Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian university exploring scholarship programs for students of Italian origin and potential institutional agreement. Pro-rector Prof. Raffaele Marchetti visited Casa d'Italia.
• VMG Entertainment / Ralph ButtinominorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent collaboration for 'Avec Pupo' Meet and Greet special event featuring Italian singer Pupo.
• CinemaPubliccoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFilm screening partnership. Weekly film screenings Wednesday to Sunday at Casa d'Italia. Ticketing via cinemapublic.ca.
• Italian-Canadian Federations and AssociationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with various Italian-Canadian federations, associations, and committees. 'Ordre des Fils et Filles d'Italie' headquartered at Casa d'Italia. Collaborative events and community programming.
• Radio CFMBminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRadio interview and media coverage partnership for community events and Gala announcements.
• Local Schools (École Honoré-Mercier, Vanier College)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnerships hosting field trips, Italian language classes, and cultural education programs for students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Italian Cultural Centre (Vancouver): Vancouver's principal Italian community centre, hosting cultural events, language courses, and venue rentals for the Italian-Canadian diaspora in British Columbia. Directly comparable as a multi-generational Italian heritage institution offering similar programming mix to Casa d'Italia.
• Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Centre (Ottawa): Canadian heritage organization preserving Ukrainian-Canadian culture through language courses, archives, performances, and community events. Highly comparable model to Casa d'Italia as a diaspora cultural anchor operating archives, classes, and event spaces in Canada.
• Centro Cultural de la Raza: San Diego-based Chicano/Mexicano cultural arts center housed in a historic landmark, operating galleries, performance spaces, and educational programming. Comparable as an ethnic-heritage cultural organization anchoring a diaspora community through arts, archives, and venue rentals.
• Istituto Italiano di Cultura Montreal: Italian government cultural institute in Montreal, an active partner of Casa d'Italia for film screenings, concerts, and cultural programming. Operates in the same city and category with overlapping event programming and Italian government backing.
• CinemaPublic: Montreal arthouse cinema organization that operates weekly film screenings at Casa d'Italia as a channel partner. Comparable as a film exhibition operator and a direct operational partner for Casa d'Italia's cinema programming.
• Italian Community Centre (Vancouver): Italian-Canadian community centre in Vancouver offering sports, cultural, and social programming for the Italian diaspora. Comparable in mission and multi-program structure, though with a stronger sports and recreation focus than Casa d'Italia's cultural emphasis.

Broad incumbents

• Italian American Museum: New York-based museum preserving Italian-American heritage through exhibitions, archives, and educational programming. Comparable heritage-preservation mission but operates as a more focused museum institution rather than the community-event center model Casa d'Italia runs.

Regional players

• Greek Community of Greater Montreal: Montreal-based organization serving the Greek-Canadian community through cultural events, language education, and community services. Comparable as an ethnic-community cultural anchor in Montreal with a similar diaspora-service mission.
• Casa de España (Montreal): Spanish-heritage community and cultural organization in Montreal hosting events, language programming, and community gatherings for the Spanish-speaking diaspora. Operates the same diaspora-cultural-anchor model in the same city as Casa d'Italia.

Others

• Maison de la Culture (Montreal network): City-operated network of cultural venues across Montreal offering exhibitions, performances, and community programming. Comparable as a Montreal-based cultural programming operator, though publicly funded and more diffuse than Casa d'Italia's single-site community-anchored model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/casa-d-italia-ccpi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Casa D'Italia-CCPI