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:

I am in the Glenora District in Edmonton in what I call a very beautiful bungalow, set in a Victorian style kind of character. I am in a very casual conversation with Victor Losa. He has been a very successful businessman in Edmonton and at one time served the Italian community in the capacity of Agente Consulare which means Agent for the Italian consulate in Vancouver. 
So Mr. Losa has distinguished himself here, as I said before, for serving the community with all the things which come with it - the glory - well, sometimes the displeasures, anyway, all the things that people get when they are in public life. 
Anyway, Mr. Victor Losa, good evening and I hope that you'll be able to answer a few questions in a very informal way.

Mr. L:

Sure

Mr. R:

Let's start, Mr. Losa, with when you came to Canada and from where.

Mr. L:

Yes, I came from Turin , the city of Turin, where I was born in May1905. And I came to Edmonton directly because I had a contract of work - contracto de Lavoro. And with one Italian jeweler that had a jewelry shop, jewelry store, in Edmonton - name - Pietro Colbertaldo - that he was Italian Consular Agent for all Alberta.
And therefore, he knew of a school of watchmakers in Turin because he attended the school himself. Therefore he wanted to get another watchmaker from the same school, and I applied because I was one of their pupils. As such , I was received by Mr. Colbertaldo around 1920, yes 1920, and I start working for Mr. Colbertaldo right away, for a few years, until he was appointed to a better position as Italian Consul in Vancouver, B.C. [He was actually appointed to Winnipeg, Manitoba.] So therefore, there was nothing else to do but to sell me the store, the jewelry store, and also the consular office because there was nobody else that could hold such an office at that time in Edmonton. So therefore, I became proprietor of the store, that I had no dream to be, and also the Italian consul.

Mr. R:

That's very interesting, Mr. Losa. It seems that I was going to ask you how, you know your career went along, but it seems to me you just hit the nail on the head, so to speak. You came at the right time, with the right person, who, in a way, catapulted you into two positions at the same time. I think you are one of the few, perhaps, who have been very lucky. Tell me, Mr. Losa, in our conversation before this recording, I noticed the remarkable good Italian that you speak , and when I say remarkable, I mean perfect Italian. How did you manage to retain your knowledge of Italian after so many years.

Mr. L:

Well, I keep on reading - newspapers and books - in Italian. That is why. And then, I like to talk - with Italian people. Despite my wife is not an Italian.

Mr. R:

Oh, your wife is not of Italian origin?

Mr. L:

No, not Italian.

Mr. R:

Boy, that is even more remarkable, then, your ability of retention.
Now, another question, then, always in the language field. Because your English is very good, too, how did you learn English when you came here?

Mr. L:

Well, for a couple of winters, I went to school - evening school - for new Canadians. 

Mr. R:

Yes, yes.

Mr. L:

That's where I learned the first fundamentals of the English language. 

Mr. R:

Tell me these groups were organized by what agency?

Mr. L:

No, it was organized by the City of Edmonton.

Mr. R:

Oh, the City of Edmonton? That was in 19 what? 20-21?

Mr. L:

Yes, -21,-22,-23. I don't remember.

Mr. R:

Yes, but anyway, well that is a compliment for the City of Edmonton at that time. And even now.

Mr. L:

It was for all new Canadians of any origin. 

Mr. R:

Therefore the teachers, I'm sure, did not speak Italian.

Mr. L:

Never, not even a word. So, I had to manage it by myself.

Mr. R:

Well, my compliments because I think you did it very well.  So okay, then you came in about the beginning of the 20s, the early 20s, and, well, you managed to become, in a very short time, a proprietor of a jewelry (store) and then you were appointed as a consulate...

Mr. L:

A regente- regent. 

Mr. R:

Regent would have to be the right word.

Mr. L:

Yes, regent, because they don't appoint you right away. But then in 1936 I was appointed, nominated, with a patent 'patente' of 'agente consulare'.

Mr. R:

Oh yes, I saw that document signed by the ambassador. Yes, that's good.  Now tell me, how many Italians were there in the early 20s, say prior to your becoming involved as an agent.

Mr. L:

In the whole province?

Mr. R:

No, let's say first Edmonton.

Mr. L:

In Edmonton? About 500.

Mr. R:

500 Italians? And in the province? Do you have any idea?

Mr. L:

No. No I have no idea. But then my office covered the whole province.

Mr. R:

I see.

Mr. L:

And part of Saskatchewan, too.

Mr. R:

Oh.

Mr. L:

Yes, because they had nobody in Saskatchewan yet.

Mr. R:

Would you venture any figure, say, just approximate...

Mr. L:

No, I would not bother looking, investigating it - so long ago, so many years ago.

Mr. R:

Also, it must have been the same situation as it is now - people don't come and register with the consul agent unless they need something.

Mr. L:

And now there is a stricter control of many entries of different nationalities.

Mr. R:

Yes, yes, in those days, I think everything was guess work.

Mr. L:

They came & gone and ...freewheel.

Mr. R:

Tell me now, you are now about this time say, about 36, 35, you are a successful businessman, and then, of course, well, it was the dirty thirties, what I heard. How did you manage that?

Mr. L:

Yes, the Depression years. I carry on, just the same. And we were able to survive. And it was very, very hard to give service. Many Italians, they couldn't even pay for any documents. Many times I had to make them for nothing. Free of charge.

Mr. R:

I guess that was a very hard time.

Mr. L:

It was a very thankless job, also. Because many times the Italians didn't want to give any money. They didn't like to pay. Often I had to leave the store to do some service, say, take an Italian to court, to help him translate, and I didn't receive any remuneration.

Mr. R:

That's also to your credit.

Mr. L:

You see, we had no salaries. It was all free. It's not like the other nations that they gave a salary.

Mr. R:

Oh, you didn't receive any remuneration at all?

Mr. L:

Only a percentage on the stamps that we applied on the documents. 'Pocura generale.' Power of attorney, then you apply the stamps. Consular mark, 'marchete'. Then we had 70 percent of that. But that was hardly enough to pay the time, let alone the rent...

Mr. R:

Do you remember, Mr. Losa, any, say, particular incident of some Italian being in deep trouble, for instance, that you were involved when helping, some complication that you part of disentangling in the whole case?

Mr. L:

No, not in criminal cases.

Mr. R:

No, no, no, I don't mean that, but sometimes people having to go to Italy with no passports, for instance, some mistake...

Mr. L:

Yes, oh yes, that was a normal case, that you had to...hurry, hurry, procure a passport for somebody that forgot at the last moment, and this and that, or they lost their documents, or... There was many, many times that we were also ... treated well by the local authorities as such as an Italian representative, and we were invited to their affairs, functions, banquets. 

Mr. R:

So then, your relations with the local authorities were excellent.

Mr. L:

Excellent!