Raffaele Albi Mr. and Mrs. Enrico Butti Mr. & Mrs. Domenico Chiarello (Nella Anselmo)  Gus & Assunta Dotto (Emilia Raffin)  Attilio & Stella Gatto Gus Lavorato Giovanni Paron Louie Protti Mr. & Mrs. Sartor Sam Scrivano Silvio Tona Paolo Veltri

Raffaele Albi was born on September 14, 1913, in the town of Grimaldi, in the province of Cosenza, region of Calabria, Italy.  His Father, Francesco Albi, was one of six brothers and was the last to emigrate to Spokane, Washington. Francesco emigrated in 1913 before the birth of his second son, Raffaele (his older son Giuseppe was born in 1911).  He worked in the Crow's Nest Pass and died in 1916 in Revelstoke, BC, of pneumonia.  In Italy, Raffaele attended school up until grade five (which was the norm) and was apprenticed and became a master carpenter. He was also an excellent amateur musician, playing the mandolin and clarinet.  When he was 21 he joined the military and was stationed in Ethiopia, Bologna, and Cosenza. In 1938, he married Estera Potestio and they had three children:  Rosa, Adriana and Giuseppe.  Raffaele came to Canada in 1949 by boat from Paris (he had been recruited by a labour agent, Ottavio Iachetta, from Winnipeg). He landed in Quebec, and then took the train to Winnipeg. He worked there on a farm until he made his way to Edmonton in 1949 where he worked initially for New West Construction and, later, for Imperial Oil. His wife and three children joined him in 1951.  Mrs. Albi worked at the GWG plant in Edmonton as well as at Toni Lynn and White Stag. 

The interview was conducted by Carmela Marino and Rita Cavaliere for the Italians Settle in Edmonton Project in 1983 resulting in the commemorative booklet of the same name.

This was a 25th anniversary project of the Santa Maria Goretti Parish. A Society was set up and a committee struck to undertake the research. The President was Frank Sdao and the research was led by Dr. Adriana Albi Davies. 

The Albi Family Photo Album

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