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The Atlantic Ocean | | Date: 1960s | | Notes: The photo was taken by Wolf Arnold. | Contributed by: Wolf Arnold
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Montreal, Quebec, Canada | | Date: 1924 | Notes: Born in 1900 in a small "Albanese" village by the Adriatic coast in Ururi, Molise, Vincenzo Monaco lived there until 1923. In 1908 his father had left for Argentina to find work and help out his young family, but after three years in Argentina his father "lascio la pelle" and thus his mother had to raise four little children all by herself. The family was in dire straits -- "tanta miseria." Luckily, some of his cousins had immigrated to Montreal and offered to help out the family by offering to sponsor them. First his eldest brother came to Montreal in 1914, and then his other brother came in 1921. However, when he came in 1923 he had to sign an agreement with the federal government that he would be willing to work on a farm. When he disembarked from the ship the immigrant officers looked at his hands and decided he had what it took to be a farmer. For six months he worked on a farm in Lachine, Quebec. After that, he got a job in Montreal digging ditches and fitting pipes. The Sun Life Building was built with the blood and sweat of Italians ("La construzione del monumentale efificio della Sun Life e di altri grattacieli ha ben conosciuto il duro lavoro dei nostri immigrati italiani"). In 1928 he bought land around Saint Zotique and Bordeaux Street in Montreal. At the time the area was empty, one could actually farm there. Many Italians in Montreal at the time lacked for nothing precisely because they grew their own food and raised their own chickens and sheep ("Noi Ialiani sapevamo organizzarci per non mancare di nulla: avere la nostra verdura, i nostri fruitti, le nostre galline, le nostre uova, e per Pasqua avere i nostri conigli e i nostri agnelli.") Vincenzo Monaco's farm slowly developed into a commercial enterprise. He and his brother opened one of the first Italian grocery shops in Montreal -- "La Boulangerie Corona." Finally Italians had access to their own foods ("I nostri immigrati potevano finalmente avere il loro pane, la loro pastatradizionale, la lore focaccia, la pizza come la volevano loro.") His establishment became such an important part of the Italian community the well-known filmmaker, Paul Tana, included him in his production entitled "Caffe Italia." He was also mentioned in Bruno Ramireze's book, "Les Premiers Italiens de Montreal" (Boreal Express). He often visits the old district near St. Zotique and Bordeaux Street and thinks to himself, "La Vincenzo c'era il tuo campicello, il tuo giardino, la tua 'farm' familiare... uno strlcio della tua vita di emigrato."
The photo and short biography of Vincenzo Monaco were first published in Centro Dante's "Album di Famiglia, 1996." Permission to use the material was given by Santa Cabrini Hospital's administration. For further information visit: www.santacabrini.qc.ca. | Contributed by: Courtesy of Santa Cabrini Hospital
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Canada | | Date: 1908 | | Notes: Description found in Archives: "Immigrants -- Russian, Lithuanian, Italian." | Contributed by: Courtesy of John Woodruff/Library and Archives Canada/ C-009799
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada | | Date: ca 1915 | | Notes: Description found in Archives: "Picture depicting Mayor (top left), Church of Toronto (centre), Dr. Domenico Marino, Italian Consul (left). | Contributed by: Courtesy of D'Angelo Family/ Library and Archives Canada/ PA -091096
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Montreal, Quebec, Canada | | Date: 1922 | | Notes: This portrait was taken in Montreal, circa 1922. It depicts the Casacalendese men who went to "America" to make money. In those days, the men who took their families from Casacalenda to "America" were few. Standing from left to right are Celestino Di Blasio (deceased in Casacalenda in the 60s); Nicola Biello (deceased in Cleveland, Ohio, 1942); seated from left to right are: Michele Romagnolo; Domenico Fantillo and Francesco Ferrara all deceased in Casacalenda in the late 30s, 40s and 50s. | Contributed by: Tony Fantillo
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Montreal, Quebec, Canada | | Date: mid 1910s | | Notes: Here is a picture of Rachele Polisena's father who was in Montreal, Quebec, working abroad to support his family. He later returned to Italy and remained there for the rest of his life. | Contributed by: Rachele Polisena
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Montreal, Quebec, Canada | | Date: 1960 | Notes: Giovanna del ben Laghi was born in Friuli in 1905. At ten years old Giovanna del ben Laghi was taken out of school and given the job of cleaning up the school. She worked ten hours a day, until she became so ill, she had to stop. She married Paolo Laghi in 1943. Her husband came to Canada in 1946 and she followed him here with her daughter a year afterwards. Her husband worked in the woods of Chicoutimi, so the couple were very isolated. Also, it was very cold. She often longed for the comforts of home. At night, after work, her husband tried to learn French by reading the newspaper, hoping that soon they would be able to move to the city and have a better life. Those three years spent in Chicoutimi were very unhappy for her: "ero contenta qualche volta e poco contenta tante volte... il freddo era terribile e quasi insopportabile." Luckily, after three years, the couple moved to Montreal and for the first time they were able to celebrate Christmas with joy. For awhile she was at peace, but then her husband died and later she became ill. She was one of the first residents at Centro Dante. At first it was hard to be away from her own home, but later, she adapted and took part in many of the activities.
The photo and short biography of Giovanna del ben Laghi were first published in Centro Dante's "Album di Famiglia, 1996." Permission to use the material was granted by Santa Cabrini Hospital's administration. | Contributed by: Courtesy of the Santa Cabrini Hospital
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Montreal, Quebec, Canada | | Date: 1957 | Notes: Most immigrants who came to Montreal in the late 1950s had no idea how cold the city could get in the winter, nor did they expect to find so much snow. The sight of all that snow was a terrible shock, and yet not so terrible as to frighten us away.
Photo: George Nemeth. | Contributed by: George Nemeth
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Montreal, Quebec, Canada | | Date: 1957 | Notes: In the late 1950s Montreal was already a major North American center. Most immigrants who settled here realized that it was important to learn French as many of its inhabitants spoke this language. Nonetheless, they also realized that if they wanted go get ahead they had to learn English. In the late 1950s Montreal appeared to be run by the English. While the municipal offices employed French-Canadians, private businesses, on the most part, operated in English. All the advertising signs, at that time, were in English.
Photo: George Nemeth. | Contributed by: George Nemeth
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Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | | Date: 1957 | Notes: In the late 1950s most new immigrants equated Canada with the RCMP, Parliament Hill and, of course, hockey. Of the three hockey was the most important.
Photo: George Nemeth. | Contributed by: George Nemeth
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