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In this interview, Palmira Perusini describes her family's migration story, coming from northern Italy to Sudbury, Ontario in 1930. The interview concentrates on Mr. and Mrs. Perusini's immigration to Canada, and their work histories in Canada. Mrs. Perusini was born in the northern Italian countryside in the early twentieth century. Her father died when she was seven years old, and Mrs. Perusini recalls that her mother found it very difficult to raise the family's nine children as a widow.…

In this interview, Rosa Maria Sangali describes her life in Italy and her immigration to Canada with her adult son and his family in 1975. Mrs. Sangali concentrates on her memories of her childhood in Italy and her married life, with limited discussion of her experiences in Toronto, Ontario. Mrs. Sangali was born in a tourist town, and fondly recalls the carnivals and festivals of her youth. She is the daughter of a successful lawyer, and her parents wanted their four daughters to succeed.…

In this interview, Vittoria Giancarlo describes her husband's migration to Canada, her own migration to Canada as a proxy bride as well as her married life. She focuses on her family life, work history, and the Italian community in Sarnia, Ontario. Mrs. Giancarlo was born in Italy in 1915 and attended school until she reached grade five. Her husband was a classmate who immigrated permanently to Canada at the age of sixteen. He worked in Timmins, Ontario, but was made to move to Sarnia after…

Domenica Ghetti left Genoa, Italy in 1923 to join her husband in Sudbury, Ontario. In this interview, she focuses on her family's lifestyle and living conditions in the 1920s and 1930s. After receiving two years of education in Italy, Mrs. Ghetti decided to leave school and obtain training to become a seamstress. She worked as a seamstress in both Italy and Canada. Mrs. Ghetti describes the typical, but difficult living conditions her family endured without running water or a refrigerator 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.

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.

Amabile Zanatta was born in 1903 in a village near Treviso in northern Italy. She immigrated to Canada in 1924, married and started a family in Sudbury, Ontario. In this interview, she discusses how she came to live in Canada, as well as the employment of her children and her husband. Mrs. Zanatta's parents were farmers. She was one of eight children. In 1924, Mrs. Zanatta's sister, who was living in Britt, Ontario at the time, sponsored her to come to Canada. She describes her journey from…

This anonymous interview describes the immigrant experience of arriving in Canada. The woman being interviewed was living in Halifax with her family in the late 1940s and 50s. Her father would send her down to the immigration offices to meet family and acquaintances from Italy. She gives details of the mental and physical state of the people arriving in Canada, and how government requirements were enforced by immigration officials. The interviewee explains the confusion and difficulty…

In this anonymous interview, the interviewee discusses the details of her immigration from Italy to Canada prior to the First World War, her work life in Canada, and the social organization of Italians in Hamilton, Ontario. This woman arrived in Canada in 1911 to be united with her husband, who was already living in Hamilton. She describes her initial belief that Canada was a temporary home and compares work opportunities in Canada and Italy, noting the availability of more work in Canada.…

Finizia Mazzocato was born at the turn of the twentieth century in Popoli, Italy. She was one of four daughters in her family. In this interview, Mrs. Mazzocato discusses how she and her children survived following her husband's untimely death, her decision to come to Canada following the Second World War, and her religious beliefs. Mrs. Mazzocato's parents were farmers who worked the land and sold their produce at the piazza or market square to generate additional income for the family. In…

In this interview, Franca Cimicata describes some of the traditions and superstitions she remembers from her life in Catanzaro, southern Italy. She describes several festivals, including the Festival of the Madonna, celebrated on February 2nd, and a June festival where everyone would bring their blankets to their balconies or porches. She recalls practices associated with important Christian holidays: fifteen days before Christmas, residents would bring wood to the church to be lit on…

This interview with Helen Lettieri describes her involvement with the Italian Canadian Benevolent Corporation (ICBC) in the 1970s and the establishment of the Columbus Centre, and Villa Columbo, an Italian senior citizens' home in Toronto, Ontario. Ms. Lettieri was involved in Italian politics from early on, first as part of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association and later as Vice President of the Italian Immigrant Aid Society. She was…