Charles
Luigi Caccia, upon graduating from high school in Milan, Italy, where he
was born, went on to study Forestry Economics, University of Vienna. Shortly
after graduating, he immigrated to Canada, settling, Toronto, 1955. Employed,
at first, Faculty of Forestry, University of Toronto, by 1958 Mr. Caccia
had become involved in adult education and with other members of the Toronto
Italian community, founded COSTI (Centro Organizzativo Scuole Techniche
Italiane), an organization promoting and organizing adult education, upgrading,
skill development programs, and English language training for adults and
youth in immigrant communities. During the 1960s Mr. Caccia was the president
of COSTI. First elected to public office as a member of Toronto City Council,
by 1968 he was elected to the House of Commons as the Liberal M.P. for
Davenport and re-elected in six subsequent elections. On September 22,
1981, Prime Minister Trudeau appointed him Minister of Labour, the first
Italian Canadian to be made a Cabinet Minister in Canada’s Parliament.
Two years later, the Hon. Mr. Caccia was made Minister of the Environment.
In 1985, the United Nations Environmental Program awarded him the Global
500 award. On behalf of the peoples of Canada, Mr. Caccia has travelled
to Europe, Africa, South America, and China. In 1993 he was an official
observer of the Presidential elections in Niger. [Photo, courtesy the Hon.
Charles Caccia]