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. Mike Biollo was interviewed to discuss the life of his father, Mr. Olivo John Biollo.

Mr. Olivo John Biollo was born in 1886, in Venice, Italy.  He arrived in Winnipeg c1900, where he married  and started a couple of businesses with two of his brothers.  They proved unsuccessful, so he moved to Edmonton from whence a number of Italian families got together to form a farming colony near Lac La Biche, approximately 200 km. north-east of Edmonton.  In 1916, O.J. Biollo was the first postmaster of the hamlet he named Venice after his home city.  A nearby lake is named after Mr. Biollo.

The interview of Mike Biollo was conducted by Giancarlo Grelli for the Dante Alighieri Oral History Project on October 27, 1973.

This oral history project was initiated by Sabatino Roncucci, a founder of the Dante Alighieri Society, for the purpose of documenting immigration history so that it could be shared not only with the Italian community but also the community at large.

Related Links

• Biollo Family History:  Read about the Biollo Family as excerpted from Harvest of Memories, by the Hylo-Venice History Book Committee.

Listen to Oral History  |  Read Transcript Summary 

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