The history of the Italian community in this region dates back to the early 1880s. The Italian population expanded considerably over the following thirty years as the docks and railyards created employment. By the early 1900s there were distinctive "Little Italy" sections of both Port Arthur and Fort William.

Often facing discrimination, Italians in the area relied heavily upon a sense of community for mutual aid. Through the period of violent labour disputes on the docks, Italian workers supported each other throughout numerous strikes. So great was this sense of solidarity that when Italian strike-breakers were brought in from Winnipeg, the majority of them joined the striking workers and were housed and fed by the families of the men they had come to replace.

The sense of community remains strong to this day. Numerous mutual aid societies, choirs, dance groups, and events such as Festa Italia are a long-standing testament to the contribution of Italian-Canadians to this community.