The head of the Mount Carmel Preservation Society wants the local Italian community to have a say in the fate of the Christopher Columbus statue in front of Union Station and whether Columbus Day should continue to be observed as a holiday in the city.

In an email sent to city councilors Monday, Mauro DePasquale, president of the group, said the Italian community "justly deserves" the right to control and have a say in the fate of its own culture, achievements, history and historic artifacts, including holidays. He said the same should be the case for all other ethnic and Indigenous groups with their own heritage.