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Mrs. Antonietta Conte recounts her life in Italy as a child and mother, her journey to Canada by ship, as well as her work, home and children in Sudbury. She was sixty-years old at the time of the interview. In Treviso, Mrs. Conte attended school until the age of ten. She then began working in the factory where her two older sisters were already employed. In 1939, she married her husband who was stationed in Treviso, Venice during the Second World War. Mrs. Contes husband left for Canada in…

This interview is included as a supplement, a description is not available due to poor sound quality, difficulty interpreting the regional dialect, or the subject matter.

This interview is included as a supplement, a description is not available due to poor sound quality, difficulty interpreting the regional dialect, or the subject matter.

In this interview, Rose Fabbro describes her migration from Italy to Canada, her childhood in Timmins, Ontario and her adult life in Sudbury, Ontario. The focus of the interview is on her husband's political career, as mayor of Sudbury, and on how this affected her. Mrs. Fabbro was born in Italy in 1915, and was raised by her grandmother while her parents settled in Canada. Mrs. Fabbro and her grandmother joined her parents in Timmins when she was 9 years old, and she found it difficult to…

Raffaella Federico is well-versed in proverbs from the Calabrian region of Italy. During the interview, she explains superstitions regarding the evil eye, ear piercing, lucky and unlucky signs. She speaks about traditional Italian ceremonies for weddings, pregnancy, births, baptisms, Christmas, Easter, and La Befana. She recites proverbs related to months of the year, respecting one's elders, separated lovers and another for drunkards. In addition, she recites the prayer for the dead, the…

Dans cette entrevue, Anna Casella parle de ses entreprises au Canada et en Italie. Elle raconte comment elle soccupait de ses enfants, en particulier de la sant de son fils adulte qui avait perdu lusage de ses jambes. Mme Casella est arrive au Canada ladolescence en 1910. Elle est alle dans le nord de lOntario o son pre et son frre taient dj tablis et o ils travaillaient. Elle voque lpoque o, avec sa cousine et sa mre, elles soccupaient des pensionnaires. Elle raconte une histoire mouvante,…

This interview is included as a supplement, a description is not available due to poor sound quality, difficulty interpreting the regional dialect, or the subject matter.

In this interview Lidia Venditti shares her knowledge of southern Italian customs, superstitions and religious practices. Mrs. Venditti was born in Paola, Italy, noting that this is the birthplace of Saint Francisco di Paola. She identifies strongly with her Catholic faith, reciting the order of the rosary, and describing elements of traditional Easter and Christmas celebrations, including traditional foods and practices. Mrs. Venditti demonstrates her knowledge of Italian proverbs, reciting…

In this interview, Anna Casella discusses her entrepreneurial activities in Canada and Italy, as well as caring for her children - particularly nursing her adult son back to health after having lost the use of his legs. Mrs. Casella arrived in Canada as a teenager in 1910. She settled in Northern Ontario, where her father and brother were already living and working. She reminisces about taking in boarders with her cousin and her mother. She shares a touching story about a time when, as a…

In this interview, Chiara Iannarelli describes her life in Italy, her love of singing and long-time involvement in church choral groups, and her decision to come to Canada. Mrs. Iannarelli was born in Abruzzo, Italy in a village of 11,000 people. She lived in a two-room house along with her parents and four siblings. She earned a living by working twelve-hour days in a brick factory. Mrs. Iannarelli fondly reminisces about celebrations she enjoyed in Italy, such as the Festa of Santa Lucia…