Caboto Club marks 100 years: From humble immigrant hall to a Windsor landmark

This weekend marks 100 years of the Giovanni Caboto Club. CTV Windsor’s Sanjay Maru outlines the significance of the club in the city.

The smell of pizza in the Caboto Club’s kitchen is as familiar as the laughter echoing from its banquet halls — a reminder that this Windsor institution was built on food, friendship, and a fierce commitment to community.

Now, as the Giovanni Caboto Club celebrates its 100th anniversary with a gala this weekend, those who know its story say the milestone isn’t just about longevity — it’s about evolution.

The centennial gala on Nov. 1 will include tributes to past presidents, longtime members, and the immigrant families who helped build the club into what it is today.

It all began with a New Year’s Eve dance in 1924. 10 Italian immigrants rented the gym at St. Joseph’s School and threw a party to bring people together.

“The success of that night gave them the idea,” said Caboto general manager Ron Moro.

“They sat down and said, ‘Why don’t we get an organization going for the Italians, the immigrants.’”

By January 1925, the Giovanni Caboto Club was born. Its founders envisioned a place where newcomers could speak Italian, share meals and support one another while adjusting to life in Canada.

The club’s first home was at Niagara and Marion, a modest meeting hall that quickly filled with members and activity.

Within a decade, the organization needed more room — purchasing property at 966 Wyandotte Street East in 1934 for $5,000.

That building still stands today as the Street Help Homeless Shelter, a connection Moro calls symbolic.

“Caboto Club has donated millions of dollars to help people in this community, including the homeless. So, it’s amazing that our first building now is a homeless shelter in Windsor. It’s kind of neat,” he said.

The Second World War brought tougher times. Like many Italian-Canadians, members faced suspicion, and the club was forced to surrender its beer licence and close its rooms to the public. Yet, it endured — and once peace returned, so did the crowds.

A post-war immigration boom brought new life to the club. Members bought the current site on Parent Avenue in 1949, and by 1950, a modern new hall opened — built through volunteer labour. Expansions in the 1970s and 1980s transformed it into the world-class venue Windsor knows today.

The Caboto’s journey has not been without controversy. Historical membership rules limited full status to men of Italian descent — a long-standing policy that drew criticism in recent years.

It wasn’t until 2023 that the Caboto lifted that restriction, allowing women to be general members and sit on the board of directors.

“They’re enrolling and they’re doing a wonderful job — the ones who are active,” said Gino Piazza, chair of the club’s centennial gala. “I think it’s a plus.”

According to Moro, the Caboto Club adds five to six memberships every month.

“Right now, when we get a new membership, most of them are women at the moment.”

Moro said the club is also exploring ways to involve younger members in the years ahead, including new youth memberships.

“We want to make sure the young people are included, because that’s the future,” he said.

Piazza added that development work is ongoing behind the scenes.

“We’ve got some things in the works,” he said.

“We’ll be announcing some plans in the near future, and it’s all about keeping the Caboto growing.”