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

Mr. R:

This was the authorities. Now, how about the ordinary citizens? Were they, say, behind the (soldiers?)

Mr. L:

No, no. They came in my store and gave me their business just the same.

Mr. R:

Well, that's a good ... on Canadian citizens.,,,,(garbled)

Mr. L:

Thank you very much...a characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon temperament.

Mr. R:

They are not hot like we Italians.

Mr. L:

No, no, they are not hot-tempered. .They are not fanatic. They are cool and collected.

Mr. R:

They use reason.

Mr. L:

Yes.

Mr. R:

That's good. So, I would like to ask you another few questions of, let's say, a cultural nature. Between the two wars were there any cultural activities originated by the Italians for the Italians?

Mr. L:

No, no. Because, before the war, we didn't have enough Italians to warrant to have a society like the 'Dante Alighieri'. And then I don't think they were organized as such as they are now. Then, they were not so well attached.

Mr. R:

They didn't have many ties among themselves?

Mr. L:

No, no.

Mr. R:

Everyone for himself.

Mr. L:

More or less. Oh, they were friendly, everything else, but they were not so eager to join a club or...

Mr. R:

So you would say that Italian gatherings in those days never went beyond the living rooms.

Mr. L:

Yes. You know, in Calgary they had more doings, because they had more Italians there.

Mr. R:

I see, it was an older community there, yes.

Mr. L:

Yes, older and more larger community

Mr. R:

So, when you say there were about 500 Italians in Edmonton, it means that there were probably, you know, I believe 100, 105 families, really.

Mr. L:

A little more that that, perhaps. But, you see, it was the capital city, and that is why the office remains here.

Mr. R:

Yes, it's not because it had more population of Italians, but because it was the capital city.

Mr. L:

Right.

Mr. R:

Now, another thing, the . of Italians ... you know, were born in Canada after ...the second World War. To your knowledge, were they learning Italian at all or were they abandoning it, you know, in Canada. Abandoning the Italian language, I mean.

Mr. L:

Oh no, they were not. They were not. But they were not speaking that good. They did not know how to speak that perfect.

Mr. R:

So, in other words, they mostly picked up the dialect, more or less.

Mr. L:

Only dialect! That is the curse of our nation. .... speak the dialect, which I hate!