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Italian Interview - Paola Iati

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Title

Italian Interview - Paola Iati

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Description

This interviewee reminisces about his youth in Italy, serving in the Italian army in World War One, and migrating to Canada alone, and then bringing over his wife and child. He focuses on his experiences during the war, and his employment in Canada. The interviewee was born in 1899. He joined the army in 1917 at the age of eighteen. He describes his memorable experiences during the war, including being treated for malaria at the San Marino Republic hospital, and being taken prisoner by Austrian forces along with his entire 200,000 person regiment. He married his girlfriend of four years shortly after leaving the army, in 1921, and they had their first son in 1922. His father-in-law suggested he move to North Bay, Ontario, which he did in 1921. His wife joined him in 1930. The interviewee discusses his varied employment experiences throughout his time in Canada, including work in concrete finishing, waterworks construction and shoveling snow. His wife worked in a mica plant for a short time starting in 1944, and then worked as a dressmaker. The interviewee describes some of the changes he saw in North Bay during his time there, for example noting that there were no sidewalks or cars when he first arrived. He recounts stories of deprivation and food rationing during the Depression. He describes the importance of the Catholic Church to his life in Italy and in Canada, identifying several important priests by name., Cet interview voque sa jeunesse en Italie, il a servi dans larme italienne durant la Premire Guerre mondiale, il a migr seul au Canada et ensuite il a fait venir sa femme et son enfant. Il parle surtout de ses expriences durant la guerre et de son travail au Canada. Linterview est n en 1899. Il sest joint larme en 1917 lge de dix-huit ans. Parmi ses expriences les plus mmorables durant la guerre, il voque son hospitalisation pour le traitement du paludisme au San Marino Republic hospital, et aussi sa capture par les forces autrichiennes qui avaient fait prisonnier un rgiment entier de 200,000 personnes. Il a pous sa petite amie de quatre ans quand il a quitt larme en 1921 et ils ont eu leur premier fils en 1922. Suivant lavis de son beau-pre, il a dmnag North Bay (Ontario) en 1921. Sa femme est venue le rejoindre en 1930. Linterview parle de ses divers emplois au Canada, il a travaill comme finisseur de bton, dans la construction des ouvrages deau et le dblayage de la neige. partir de 1944, son pouse a travaill dans une usine de mica pendant une brve priode avant de devenir couturire. Linterview dcrit les changements qui ont eu lieu depuis son arrive North Bay, il cite, par exemple, le fait quil ny avait pas de trottoirs ou de voitures lorsquil venait darriver. Il voque les pnuries et le rationnement de la nourriture durant la Dpression. Il souligne limportance de lglise catholique dans sa vie en Italie et au Canada et nomme plusieurs prtres importants.

Publisher

Contributor

MHSO; Paola Iati, Iati, Paola

Date

1973-07-29

Type

Interviews (Sound recordings), Sound

Format

ita; eng; 1:04:08

Identifier

ioh:232, local: ITA-1179-IAT, uuid: 32c39777-810f-40b6-960b-24bf4de9aa48, http://content.lib.sfu.ca/cdm/ref/collection/ioh/id/375

Source

Language

Relation

Coverage

Rights

MHSO