September 10th, 1998
Interviewers:
- Leslie Robertson and Mary Giuliano
(Note: "A" indicates "Assunta" and "L" indicates "Luigi")
Q: So then when you said you came from Halifax to
where?
L: To Toronto.
Q: You went to Toronto - I thought Assunta said you
were in Quebec for a while?
L: Yeah but after two weeks I was in Toronto went to
look for a job you know and after from Toronto went in Quebec.
And then I go work in a sawmill 55 (inaudible).
Q: Oh wow.
L: So after I say I no stay here (inaudible) and after
I come here in Fernie in July.
Q: How did you hear about Fernie then from Quebec?
L: Myself.
Q: But I mean Fernie of all places I mean ...
A: Miners.
L: I got a book from Ottawa.
Q: From Ottawa?
L: Yeah I went to the office and asked for a job and
they say oh theres no jobs now but he give me the book industry
in Canada.
Q: And Fernie was listed on there?
L: Yeah. And Fernie was in that book and they say coal
mine there. They say Coleman but when I come here I see the
Coleman and I say oh no I no like it.
Q: Coal Creek? No Coleman.
L: Coleman no I say I go Fernie. Fernie I went with
the bus from Calgary from North Bay. From Quebec I went to North
Bay, Ontario and I stay there one night. In the morning the
train to Calgary. I stay in Calgary three nights, four days
after I went see look for a job in Canmore. Or in Banff there.
Went to ask (inaudible) and (inaudible) oh yeah say I give a job
sure (inaudible) The first thing he look where stay because he
say the town is full and we work one day a week say if you find
a place to stay one day a week (inaudible) Oh I say no thank-you
(inaudible) yeah the mine was already very close to in town you
know I went take a bus and second day we catch a bus and we come
to Fernie.
Q: What year was that?
L: 1952.
Q: 52? And were the mines working a lot then?
L: Here we was working three days, two days. But I
like the town. I like the place here. Say I gonna stay.
Q: Did you work at Coal Creek?
L: Oh yeah. Yeah. (inaudible) at Coal Creek.
Q: Underground?
L: Underground.
Q: Were you in the One East?
L: No I work at number nine, number three, number
four. Yeah. After 1958 is closed and after same thing at Michel.
Yeah so
Q: So then when did you come here Assunta what year?
L: 53. January 53.
Q: 53? So you decided it was time to send for the
girl huh?
A: Yeah I was married already. In 52. August the
10th, 1952.
L: I was married in 52 by proxy.
This oral history transcript is extracted from the
Elk Valley Italian Oral History Project undertaken for the Fernie and District Historical Society
in 1998-99. The
Heritage Community Foundation and the Year of the Coal Miner Consortium would
like to thank Leslie Robertson and the interview team and the Fernie and District Historical Society,
which is a member of the consortium, for permission to reprint this material.
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