Discovering Canada One Story at a Time
Carleton was pleased to welcome Drs. Arianna Dagnino and Stefano Gulmanelli to campus Tuesday night as part of their “Canadiensis: Meeting the People Who Make a Country” lecture tour.
In May of last year, the two longtime journalists, writers, and educators set out from Victoria in a leased Nissan Rogue on what would become a 75-day, 21,000 km road trip across Canada and back again. Along the way, they posted stories about the places they visited, the sights they saw, and, most importantly, about the people they met.
The presenters shared some of these stories on the night, accompanied by an excellent selection of photographs, some of which had been printed in large format for display on easels.
Whenever possible, we prefer to let others speak — through in-depth interviews and voices gathered in the field — rather than having us “explain” from behind a desk or screen. Our aim is to observe and listen to Canada, and translate its many textures into narrative. (Canadiensis, 2026)
A more complete collection of these reflections, observations, and conversations can be found (in English and Italian) in their large and growing collection at Canadiensis.Substack.com.
The couple, both natives of Italy now Canadian citizens, are no strangers to telling stories from the road.
We are journalists, writers, and researchers (University of British Columbia) with over thirty years of experience documenting the political and cultural transformations and socio-economic trends of the places where we have lived and travelled.
Our work has taken us across five continents and into diverse communities, with a focus on voices and stories often overlooked by mainstream media. We have reported, written, and researched internationally — from South Africa to Australia, from China to Jordan — always with the belief that rigorous, independent storytelling can contribute to knowledge and foster dialogue. (Canadiensis, 2026)
A vibrant Q & A followed the initial presentation.
Photos courtesy of Arianna Dagnino and Stefano Gulmanelli. Used with permission.
Heartfelt appreciation to everyone who came out for this engaging evening. Thanks also to Ambassador of Italy to Canada, H. E. Alessandro Cattaneo, and First Secretary, Head of Cultural Affairs, Press and Communications, Rebecca Scano, for their kind words of welcome, and to Italian Lettrice, Marcella Marceddu, for all her hard work in organizing the evening.
And, of course, thanks to Drs. Dagnino and Gulmanelli for adding a Carleton pin to their map of Canadian destinations.
The event was a collaborative effort between Carleton’s Modern Languages program and the Embassy of Italy in Ottawa.
Related Reading
Two uniquely Italian stories from their Canadian journey include: