Vancouver’s Commercial Drive has continued to evolve since the days when classmates of Italian heritage would shop there for gorgeous imported shoes and fashion.

Yes, Vancouver’s Italian Cultural Centre has been housed  3.8 km / 2.3 miles away, on Grandview, since 1977. Yes,  the demographics have changed and housing prices around the Drive have shot up to the point that you’d be hard pressed to find a single family home for under a million. Some things, though, don’t change. Longstanding establishments such as Nick’s Spaghetti House still remain, and the men of the Portuguese Club of Vancouver are pros with barbequed sardines or chicken. While we missed the kids’ spaghetti eating contest this year, the singers drew good crowds, the bocci was great fun, and Italian Day on the Drive shows that Vancouverites of all ages love an opportunity  to gather and enjoy a good time.

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