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     Mario Grassi:  Oral History Transcript Summary

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Louis (Luigi)
Biamonte

Mike Biollo

Father Giovanni
Bonelli

Camillo Bridarolli

Mr. & Mrs. Henry
Butti

John Camarta

Domenico Chiarello

Joe Fabbri

Mario Grassi

Victor Losa

Filomena Michetti

Mrs. Mamie Meardi

Tony Nimis

Giorgio W. &
Norma Pocaterra

Mr. & Mrs. John
Segatti

Romano Tedesco &
Mrs. Irma Giacobbo

Angelo Toppano

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The Depression:

  • He says that there was no work in the 30's. He was working at the Palliser during this time. The people he worked with took turns working different months so that nobody got laid off.

  • The community was also in bad shape, with people losing houses to the banks because they could not make payments.

  • Mario says that as the community got richer it started to fall apart because people did not have to rely on each other like they did during the depression.

  • Italians during World War ll experienced some discrimination because Italy sided with Germany.

Post War Immigration:

  • Immigrants that came over after the war were more skilled in the trades.

  • The old section of the city that housed the Italian community was gradually being broken up as the younger generation moved elsewhere.

The Return to Italy:

  • Mario took his wife and two children back to Italy in 1960. He discovered he now had 25 cousins that were not born at the time he left. Other than that he did not notice anything new in his home town.

  • He also went to Japan in 1970 but experienced difficulties because he was still considered an alien. This was because he was naturalized with his father when they arrived.

Opinions of Canada:

  • No complaints, we had hard times, we had good times, Calgary has been good to me and I love it here.

  • Mario says that he wouldn't live in any other country because Canada is his home.

 

 

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