Attention-grabbing individuals are all over the place. I met Ben Viccari just a few weeks in the past on the preliminary screening of a documentary known as “Small Places – Small Homes”. The documentary profiled the life of 4 immigrant households who had chosen to settle in small rural Canadian cities and spoke to their distinctive challenges and adjustment experiences. Through the occasion afterwards I used to be launched to Ben Viccari, a distinguished author and journalist, and a pioneer of Canadian multiculturalism.
Ben is a captivating particular person – at nearly 90 years of age he’s within the course of of making his second tv documentary and concerned in a number of initiatives on the similar time. Ben has many years of public relations expertise and over the past quarter century additionally turned concerned in ethnic publications. At current Ben is the President of the Canadian Ethnic Media Affiliation which speaks to problems with immigrant settlement, heritage preservation and the ethnic communities’ position in nation constructing.
He’s additionally a daily commentator on Omni Tv and runs a web based publication known as “Canscene” which introduces the reader to multicultural points in Canada. On this article Ben shares with us his life expertise all through his early years, the Second World Battle, and his nearly 60 years in Canada. He additionally provides us perception into his distinctive views on Canada’s position as a possible mannequin nation by way of how we take care of immigration and immigrant settlement, notions which might be very pricey to my very own coronary heart.
I used to be amazed by Ben’s vitality and creativity and loved the time we spent in somewhat restaurant alongside Bloor Avenue, studying from a person whose life expertise spans nearly a century, a person whose vitality, creativity and broad-mindedness captivate.
1. Please inform us about your self and your background.
I’m a Canadian effectively certified, I imagine, to talk for multiculturalism and variety via my blended parentage, early schooling at a London faculty with a world scholar physique, journey overseas, adopted in Canada because the late Nineteen Forties by a various profession in communications a lot of which has positioned me involved with Canadians from all kinds of origins and backgrounds
Ben on the provincial archive, Winnipeg with the whole problems with
the Icelandic Framfari, first ethnic newspaper revealed in Manitoba,
in a scene from The Third Ingredient
2. You grew up in England because the baby of Italian immigrants. Please inform us extra about that.
My father, an Italian immigrant to Britain, met and married my mom, an Englishwoman. That they had two youngsters, my youthful brother John and me, seven years his senior. Our delight was to develop up in a house during which husband and spouse loved mutual respect for one another’s nationwide traits. We lived in an ambiance of being cherished and in flip, loving.
In these days, marriage to a overseas citizen who was not naturalized meant spouse and youngsters have been Italian nationals and a way of duality turned pure to us. We ate hen cacciatore and olives, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and rejoiced when Dad got here residence with sticks ot torrone, Italian nougat purchased at Barale and Crippa an Italian grocery within the coronary heart of Soho. Additionally their tangy salami. And whereas my Italian grandparents have been nonetheless alive, they mailed packing containers of handmade salami, soppressata and goat cheese to us.
3. Your working life initially began out within the barber store of your father. Please inform us extra about that.
From childhood, I cherished being learn to and even made up my very own tales. I bear in mind my mom recounting that I had created a fictional nation that I continuously “visited.” It was peopled completely by cats and I known as it “Abloo Labloo Land.” Even earlier than I began kindergarten I knew the alphabet and will detect sure printed phrases and by seven sensational papers like Information of the World have been hidden away from me.
My favorite topics have been English, French and Historical past and never being a lot of a sportsman or gymnast I reveled in alternatives to take part in class dramatics and sophistication performances of Shakespeare.
There was a short fling at professional theatre when at 15 I joined a troupe of children on the spacious Wimbledon residence of the Thursby-Pelhams. The husband was a outstanding English lawyer and his spouse born in Mexico however raised in England had introduced up her youngsters Lola and Marshall in a theatrical environment. She had written a youngsters’s Christmas play during which a college is magically transported to all corners of the world.
I performed Ronnie, the third juvenile lead after Lola and Marshall and the well-known music corridor comic Harry Tate was engaged to play the varsity trainer. By the point the present was sufficiently rewritten, rehearsed and able to go, no London theatres have been accessible and the concept of a West Finish manufacturing deserted, however we gave just a few performances in assist of charity at city halls and different places with stage amenities. I stay a ham at coronary heart and through my military years, organized a lot of reveals carried out by troopers.
My reverence for the spoken and written phrase is maybe what has most ruled my life. I attended Pitman’s Faculty the place I discovered typing and shorthand abilities. I used to be upset that I might by no means get into journalism even on the entry degree of copy boy or another menial job. Oddly sufficient, my father inspired me in my search and by no means insisted on my turning into a hairdresser.
At age 17, I turned a hairdresser feeling I owed it to my father who had tried so arduous to get me introductions to press individuals. I used to be first apprenticed to a big salon at Liverpool St. Station after which attended hairdressing faculties.
My father remained a barber however had glorious administration abilities and rose to be supervisor of the women and gents salon on the world famend Claridges lodge. In 1935, he opened a small salon of his personal and two years later a a lot bigger enterprise on Cork Avenue, within the coronary heart of the Saville Row district. The clientele included the aristocracy, the greats of politics and diplomacy and many individuals from the humanities and leisure world: Anton Walbrook, Valerie Hobson, Jan Masaryk, Sir David Lean, Sir Arthur Bliss, Alexander Korda, to call just a few. The window of the salon carried the Royal Warrant, the official coat of arms of the Home of Windsor, granted as a result of one among Dad’s private shoppers was a Royal Duke — I am unable to bear in mind which one.
I labored on the entry degree on the Cork Avenue institution after which discovered jobs within the suburbs, however my coronary heart was by no means within the craft deeply sufficient to take it to the artwork that my father and his contemporaries raised it. At this time, within the gentle of the destiny that befell thousands and thousands it appears sinful to say that I joined the military with a way of reduction.
4. You have been additionally combating for the British Military throughout World Battle II. What was your position and the place have been you stationed?
I used to be in a position to declare British citizenship at age 21, together with my mom and thus eligible to hitch the military. Though I’d have been conscripted anyway, I used to be in a position to volunteer and so to decide on the Royal Artillery somewhat than the PBI (Poor Bloody Infantry.)
I used to be one of many few individuals of my age to be lucky sufficient to personal and drive a automobile, which I would been given for my twenty first birthday, so I robotically turned a driving teacher on the helm of a twin management classic Rolls Royce which to my chagrin was speed-governed to 30 mph.
That interval lasted from October ’39 to March ’40 after I was shipped to France with a draft of reinforcements, to not change casualties for this was the interval of the Phony Battle and two mighty armies confronted one another throughout the Maginot Line, solely firing token photographs sometimes. Many troops have been already going residence to England on depart and as they trickled off, a few of us have been despatched to the entrance strains to switch them of their exercise.
New Years’ Day, 1948. Why Invoice McVean was holding his golf membership, neither of us can bear in mind, however in my very own reminiscence, this was and nonetheless is a landmark of my life right here — to get pleasure from such hospitality so quickly after arriving in Canada.
5. Please inform us a number of the tales you bear in mind most out of your time throughout WWII. What was your private expertise throughout this important time in historical past?
The phony struggle ended Might 10, when the panzers got here pouring into Belgium and Holland and the entrance line troops have been ultimately pushed again to the sands of Dunkirk. In desperation it appears, the British Military rallied the troops who have been effectively out of hurt’s approach throughout the Dunkirk evacuation — principally uncooked replacements like ourselves and fashioned them into impromptu models like “E” Area Battery to which I used to be posted as a driver.
We transfer up from Nantes the place we have been fashioned right into a unit and headed towards Paris, the place it was assumed we would defend town together with the French till reinforcements arrived from Britain. This turned inconceivable, we leaned later, because the troops who’d been lucky sufficient to be evacuated from Dunkirk had few arms and there weren’t sufficient prepared in srmy storage in England.
After we reached a sure level miles wanting Paris and dug gun pits it was with dismay that we witnessed what appeared like the whole French Military in retreat; south they went in weary dejection, leaving Paris to the Nazis. Then we heard the capital had fallen and Italy had entered the struggle in opposition to us. We had all of us — officers and males — now change into true companions, and aside from just a few gentle hearted remarks to buoy up my spirits after Mussolini’s choice, I sensed neither prejudice nor concern at my being one half Italian.
My lot was to drive one of many two senior lieutenants within the unit on reconnaissance of the neighbourhoods at which we’d construct gun websites, contact provide depots for meals and attempt to find command headquarters.
It’s tough to explain the fluid state of affairs when typically, not even our commanding officer knew nothing of the general Military plans. On one event, we thought we have been being strafed by enemy plane however the commotion was a dogfight and abruptly from our cowl in a small stand of bushes, we noticed a British fighter aircraft ploughing via the earth. Two of our fellows dashed into the open to seek out the pilot alive and effectively aside from a sprained ankle. He was dragged into cowl, fed and pushed to the closest RAF airfield remaining in France.
On one other event, Lieutenant Jack Lowery and I have been driving on a rural highway when coming quickly towards us was a wierd trying automobile which we abruptly realized was a German armoured automobile. In a flash, we each noticed a facet highway to our left, and swinging the steering wheel madly, we changed into it on two wheels and drove like hell for a number of miles. We’ll by no means know why the Germans did not hearth at us or try pursuit. Perhaps they thought our gentle van was one among theirs.
And so it went for eight extra days. Dig in, await orders, after which retreat till lastly we arrived at Cherbourg the place the weapons have been loaded onto a ship. The automobiles have been pushed right into a subject exterior town the place they’d be destroyed. Nevertheless, as driver of a lighter automobile, I used to be one among ten who have been instructed that remnants of an organization of Cameron Highlanders have been stranded exterior Caen, some 90 miles to the north of Cherbourg and we would have to return to choose them up.
By now the roads have been clogged with refugees transferring south, 1000’s on foot, some travelling on bicycles, a fortunate few in automobiles, even a hearse. The going was tough once we set out earlier than dawn however we made the rendezvous simply after midday solely to seek out no Cameron Highlanders. We drove across the space, discovered no person and assumed the Scotties had been picked by others. As a brief reduce, we determined to drive via the south finish of Caen, which wasn’t such a good suggestion since we heard the rattle of German gunfire because the Nazis poured into Caen. Thankfully they should have paused to regroup since we have been in a position to depart unhampered.
The highway again to Cherbourg was much more tough and eventful than the highway as much as Caen. We did handle to seek out just a few British troopers going it on foot together with the opposite refugees however as we crawled again to the seaport we have been machine gunned twice in quarter-hour by a lone Stuka. Every time refugees and ourselves threw ourselves into roadside ditches. We looked for useless and wounded however could not’ discover a scratch.
We reached Cherbourg within the final hours of daylight and have been ushered into the maintain of a cargo ship. I lay down on the naked metallic and slept like a log, waking to seek out myself on a cloudless June morning in Southampton harbour
‘E” Field Battery was quickly disbanded to the regrets of the entire group. Jack Lowery had been promoted to captain and we were dispatched hither and yon.
Within three weeks I found myself drafted into the Oxfordshire Yeomanry, an anti-tank regiment assigned to garrison duty in Northern Ireland. From then on, after the few weeks of high excitement in France, life seemed anti-climactic and I whiled away boredom by writing an account of the three months I’d spent in that beautiful, doomed country. After the manuscript was typed, I submitted it to a few publishers but by then so many first-hand accounts had already been published and other conflicts — Greece, the Middle East — had broken out and my MSS was stale news. But I never regretted the confidence that completion of the 30,000-word book gave me.
Other wartime memories are legion and would take a book to fill. My 36 months in Northern Ireland gave me some insights into the “troubles” that began nearly 30 years later. Back in England promoted to bombardier (corporal) I specialized in administering spare parts supply to the regiment’s vehicles until one fortunate day I was dispatched to the land of my fathers.
I was posted to Italy as a reinforcement but my knowledge of Italian soon got me special status wherever I went until eventually I was posted to the Military Mission to the Italian Army as an interpreter/translator with the rank of staff sergeant. It was fairly routine work but I was in Rome, a city l already knew, and one in which by now were it not for my love for Canada, I would otherwise have found some way to settle.
6. What happened when you returned to England after the war?
My first job on being discharged from the Military Mission to the Italian Army in 1946: was as a reader with Paramount Pictures’ London office, feeding the great maw of Hollywood with synopses of new books. Then to the fast-growing J. Arthur Rank Organization as a story analyst, where I not only read but saw new plays and foreign-language films. I was also earmarked for a training program with Rank’s junior production unit, Highbury Studio. My ambition then was to become a writer-director.
Rank was seeking a vehicle for an English production featuring Hollywood great Frederic March and his wife, Florence and I was asked to write a treatment of a short story by Rudyard Kipling about an American industrialist and his wife and how they become enamoured of rural life in England. Which I did, to some praise, but unfortunately the producer chose Christopher Columbus as their vehicle.
Disaster arrived in the form of the “Bogart or Bacon” tax with the Labour government slapping a 70 percent tax on all Hollywood films. Instead of bolstering the British film industry, the tax had a reverse effect on Rank, with five British studios. Reciprocal distribution agreements with the U.S film industry went out the window and hundreds of men and women were fired. That included me!
7. Why did you decide to go to Canada and what were your experiences just after your arrival?
No job, no prospect. Rank was the only game in town and for writers, newsprint shortage had reduced newspapers and magazines to shadows of their pre-war selves. Travel held no terrors for me and through meeting Canadians in England, I’d come to see the potential of a “new”country. It was the late Alan Jarvis, an expatriate sculptor who eventually returned to become director of our National Gallery who finally helped me make up my mind.
8. Several people assisted you in the beginning when you came to Canada. Please tell us about that.
I owe my first job to two people. Broadcaster and travel writer Bill McVean and the late Harry Savage, one of the best ever Canadian publicists.
I arrived in Canada December 15, 1947 and reaching Toronto two days later; after finding a room, wrote to Bill Mc Vean in Woodstock who while in the RCAF had been befriended by a family in London. At a farewell party at my cousins’ home I met this couple who insisted I contact Bill. The reply to my letter was a telegram to the effect that I was invited to spend New Year’s with him and his parents. Bill was then a broadcaster/D.J at a station in Wingham and after some wonderful hospitality, on January 2, I started out for Wingham with Bill but heavy snowfall forced us to literally dig our way back to Woodstock for several few miles before the road was cleared sufficiently.
9. How did your career progress once you were in Canada? How did you originally get into the media business?
Bill knew Harry Savage , a brilliant Toronto publicist and writer, and back in Toronto, I met with Harry who gave me several contacts. I picked the least likely job first, and landed it! within three weeks of arriving here, I was working at Turnbull Elevator Company Limited Company writing brochures and creating a house organ. I was subsequently appointed its first public relations officer.
So the line passed from McVean to Savage to Gordon Turnbull, proud of the fact that his all-Canadian company was second only in sales here to the mighty international Otis Elevator. Gordon was, for his background (son of a Scottish immigrant engineer) an extraordinarily broad-minded man. When he asked me the origin of my name I felt no discomfort at his attitude. He expounded on the need for large-scale immigration to keep Canada out of American hands.
At the Turnbull Company, I was surrounded by engineers, not among the most imaginative members of society, but Gordon — himself an engineer –asked me how I thought his company’s name could achieve greater prestige. In the mid 50s, self-service elevators were being introduced into large office buildings and we had to steal a march on our competitor, Otis.
I had one of those flashes of imagination that have helped me on many occasions. I said “Why not introduce the world’s first elevator hostess? Dressed well in a particular uniform like an airline stewardess, “Miss Turnbull” would stand in lobbies of enormous buildings and assist individuals alter to self-service journey. He mulled over the concept for 5 mites as I trepidated, after which proceeded to name the final supervisor, the chief engineer and one or two different executives into his workplace. Gordon wasn’t feared by his workers, however as he requested me to clarify my concept it was clear to the others that he accredited. And so Miss Turnbull was born. On her first look she made the Toronto newspapers and tv. By the point Miss Turnbull had appeared in a number of new buildings, I acquired a president’s award from the Canadian Public Relations Society.
For 5 years, I used to be a part of the Sidney S. Brown Faculty of Radio Drama. Having first attended class in 1948 as a result of I wished to get a deal with on radio playwriting, I discovered myself as a trainer and genial assistant to Syd Brown, who remained a detailed buddy till his dying in 1979. Collectively we produced Sunday evening performs that includes the scholars, first on CHUM, then on CKFH and eventually again to CHUM. Courses have been all the time within the evenings and so did not battle with my daytime job.
Due to Miss Turnbull, I had additionally attracted some job gives, however when Normal Meals Restricted, Canadian subidiary of the enormous White Plains Company — Jello, Birdseye, Submit cereals, Maxwell Home espresso — confirmed curiosity, I could not resist and so in 1956 parted with the Turnbull firm.