With just over 200 days to go until the 2026 Winter Olympics, the Consulate General of Italy in Toronto sponsored the final leg of the International Roadshow for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
The event took place on Thursday evening, July 17, in the prestigious setting of the Distillery District, at the initiative of Consul General Luca Zelioli and in collaboration with the Italian Contemporary Film Festival (ICFF) and the Italian National Tourism Agency (ENIT S.p.A.).
The evening, which saw the participation of the Italian Ambassador to Canada Alessandro Cattaneo and the CEO of the Milano Cortina Foundation Andrea Varnier, was a high-profile institutional event, aimed at strengthening the traditionally deep sporting ties between Italy and Canada and reaffirming Milano Cortina 2026’s commitment to a lasting cultural, social, and infrastructural legacy.
Tricia Smith, President of the Canadian Olympic Committee and IOC member, offered the institutional perspective of the Olympic movement, while Karen O’Neill, CEO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, shared Canada’s strong commitment to promoting inclusion and accessibility in sport.
The event was further enlivened by the participation of athletes: Lia Pereira and Trent Michaud, a promising Canadian figure skating duo, and Tyler McGregor, captain of the national para ice hockey team, shared their experiences, sacrifices, and enthusiasm for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Italy.
The evening concluded with the screening of “La Valanga Azzurra,” a documentary produced by Fandango and Luce Cinecittà in collaboration with Rai Documentari, dedicated to the extraordinary epic of the great Italian team of the 1970s..
