Antonio
(Tony) Nimis-Tony emigrated to France after WW I and then came to Edmonton in 1926. He worked at the mine in Mountain Park
by Edson for a few years, and then moved back to Edmonton
where he worked in a marble and tile shop for nine years. He
also worked in terrazzo, cement and was a sculptor.
He tells a funny story about his first job in a mine 200 miles west
of Edmonton called Mountain Park. His foreman told him
that he had to go to the graveyard that night. So Tony
went to the cemetery to wait in -45 degree weather. A
pump man from the mine came out and said "What are you
doing out here". Tony had actually been moved to
the graveyard shift, but he took it literally and went
and stood in the graveyard!
Giovanni
Paron-Giovanni Paron was born on the 23rd of June,
1892 in Val da Sone, a town in Pordenone province of the Friuli
region of Italy. He came to Canada when he was 14 years old
to join his brothers who worked the coal mines in Michel, B.C., in
the Crowsnest Pass area of the Rockies, just west of the
Alberta/B.C. border. One of his brothers came over in 1903
and was a first-hand witness of the famous Frank slide. Giovanni
moved to Cutknife, Saskatchewan. From there he sent to his
home town in Italy for a 'mail order bride' - based on a picture
his sister had sent. They got married in 1921 in Blairmore,
Alberta since Cutknife had no church, and spent 40 years together
before his wife, Innes, died. They had one son, who
Giovanni personally delivered, and one daughter. The first
25 years of their marriage were spent homesteading near Cutknife,
where other Italian families settled and where Giovanni helped
build an Italian church. He moved to Edmonton and set up an
Industrial Machine Shop, and became friends with Mr. Butti.
Joe
Paulo-Joe worked for the CNR but also had a grocery
store.
Giuseppe
Peccori-He was a foundling born in Treviso. He came to
Edmonton in 1903 and worked in the Edmonton coal mines with Joe
Marta and Giovanni Rosso. He also worked at Mountain park and in
Edmonton worked for a brewery.
Luigi
Perlorca-He was a grocer who operated a grocery store on
97 Street and 103 Avenue.
Cosimo
Piccarello-No information available.
Joe Pivato-Joe came to Edmonton from Ontario with his
wife Emma and children. He works for Athabasca University, and has
published in the area of Canadian literature. He focused on the
writing of immigrants and in 1986 was President of the
Associazione Scrittori, Scrittrici Italo-Canadesi [Association of
Italian Canadian Writers).
Francesco
Pitingolo-He was a miner who also ran a billiards hall.
Protti-Mr. Protti came to Alberta to work as a timber
cutter and returned to Italy. His son, Luigi Protti, remained in
Edmonton. [See oral history of
Louis Protti].
Carmen
Rago-He came from Avellino Zungoli in Campania in 1952, and operates a
millwork.
Francesco
Romeo-He was from Calabria, and had a confectionery and
fruit store on 97th Street and 103 Avenue. He also
made ice cream.
Sabatino
and Elena Roncucci-Sabatino was born in 1922 in
Aschino, Siena, Italy. They came from Milan in 1958 with their
daughter. He became a tailor and fashion designer; worked for the
Hudson's Bay Company and set up his own tailoring business.
Sabitino also set up the Societa Dante Alighieri, which runs the
Scuola di Lingua e Cultura Italiana (the Italian Language and
Culture School). He also went on to become a leader in the
heritage languages and multicultural movements. He has received
many awards including honours from the Italian government and
civic, provincial and federal Canadian governments.
Tony
Ross [real name Giannone]-Tony sold fruit door-to-door
from an old truck that had the original owner's name, Ross
Plumbing, on it. He covered the word plumbing and eventually
changed his name officially to Ross.
Rossi[first name unknown]-This individual worked
in the Post Office around 1933. [This may be Julio Rossi,
whose brother
Jean settled in the Venice-Hylo area of Alberta.]
Heritage Community Foundation Presents
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