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Roughly one-third of the Calgary Italian community is from Abruzzo-Molise. Another one-third comes from Calabria, while the final one-third is composed of families from the regions of Campania, Puglia, Veneto, Friuli and Piemonte along with several individuals from Lazio, Basilicata, Sicilia, Sardegna, Tentino-Alto Adige and Emilia Romagna. Analysis is based on interviews, the marriage registers of St. Andrew's Italian Prish and Our Lady of Grace Italian and English Catholic Church, and membership records of the Calgary Italian Club. 

Group of Italian emigrants Family reunification was viewed as the priority and this included extended family members. According to Franc Sturino, "the sponsorship of relatives took up so much of the Italian quota that practically no open placement recruitment of Italian immigrants took place" after 1955. This stream of immigrants continued, more-or-less steadily until 1967-68. There was one "hiccup." In 1956, the Hungarian Revolution saw an influx from that trouble spot. With the downturn in the economy, immigration was viewed negatively. Sturino notes, 

Hostility over Italian immigration was more prevalent in eastern than western Canada, as Italian numbers were higher in the east. Politicians, union leaders and Anglo-Canadians were alarmed when figures revealed that in 1958, Italian immigration had surpassed that from Britain by 2,000 people.

The severe recession of 1958, combined with fears over the changing nature of Canada's 'racial' composition, produced what one historian describes as a 'near panic' situation. The federal government responded in 1959 by enacting an order-in-council restricting the admission of sponsored relatives. However, criticism from the Liberal opposition 'proved effective in rallying a large segment of public opinion and various ethnic groups and the government was forced to rescind the restrictive order a month after it passage. 

Leduc No. 1 oilwell changed the economy of Alberta.  Photo courtesy of City of Edmonton Archives. The coming in of Leduc No. 1 in 1947 changed the economy of Alberta. With it came opportunities for work not only in the oil patch but also in the range of industries supporting it and the growing population of the region. The economies of Edmonton and Calgary heated up, the former as the "gateway to the North" and the mines in the Northwest Territories where many strong young men went to make their fortune. Alberta's urban centres (including Lethbridge because of its history of Italian immigration to work in the mines) became destinations of choice for both skilled and unskilled labour. Italian-owned construction companies, such as the Galleli Construction in Calgary and the New West Construction in Edmonton provided employment to many. As did the railways, steelmaking, all types of construction and resource-based industries.

From 1949 onwards, many immigrants came to Edmonton. They were recruited by labour agents, including the Nigro/Anselmo families in Edmonton. They employed workers for road works and construction through the New West Construction Company that they established. The company purchased equipment used for the building of the Alaska Highway, which the American government did not want to bother shipping back to the US. Among the first hired, were Raffaele (Ralph) Albi and his best man, Attilio Gatto, who arrived in 1949. Angelo Santa Rosa was the New West Foreman. Others, such as Franco (Frank) Spinelli, ended up working in mines in the Northwest Territories.

Mr. Raffaele Albi and Mr. Art Dean in the carpentry shop of the Imperial Oil Refinery, Edmonton - early 1950s.  Photo from the booklet Italians Settle in Edmonton. Once immigrants were financially on their feet and had learned the language, they looked for other work opportunities. The growing oil industry provided other work opportunities. Ralph Albi moved to Imperial Oil in 1951and worked on plant maintenance. Because he had quickly acquired English, he was able to obtain his carpenter's papers (he was a trained master carpenter in Italy). He used his knowledge to help many others acquire their trade qualifications by serving as an interpreter when they sat their exams. He also helped many obtain work at Imperial Oil. 

Pictured is the first Italian language school sponsored by the Dante Alighieri Society (1961-62). Mrs. M. Butti, Director, and Mr. Tony Falcone, teacher, can be seen in the background.  Photo from the booklet Italians Settle in Edmonton. Whereas earlier immigration from Italy had brought largely unskilled labour from Italy's rural south, the new immigration brought people with trades. This included carpenters, masons and, to a lesser extent, tailors, teachers, engineers and others. Among their numbers were people who came for the love of travel and adventure, and also because they did not like what was happening in Italy. These includes Sabatino Roncucci, a professional tailor, who came in to Edmonton in 1958. Tony Falcone, a recently qualified school teacher in Italy, came because, having sat state exams, he would have had to wait for up to three years to get either a teaching or civil service job. 

Alessandro Urso mentions in his interview that he did not see himself as "emigrating" but, rather, as a newly qualified engineer, Carlo and Lina Amodio, post WWII immigrants to Edmonton.  Photo courtesy of the Amodio family. he saw himself "transferring" to a better position than the one he had. Immigration authorities had chosen for him a destination in Quebec - Armstrong near the American border. A friend, who found work in the petrochemical industry, encouraged to come to Edmonton. The City of Edmonton also became a significant employer for both unskilled and skilled labour. Carlo and Lina Amodio, as newly-weds, came to Edmonton in 1967 and he was hired by the City of Edmonton as an assessor and worked for the City for over 30 years before moving into consulting work. 

Italian specialty stores, such as the Italian Bakery and Delicatessen, are patronised by the entire metropolitan community of Edmonton.  Photo is copyright of Adriana Davies and the Heritage Community Foundation, 2002. A pattern emerged-while many began doing manual labour (regardless of their qualifications in Italy), they moved up the ranks in their chosen occupation or set up their own businesses. Frank Cairo came as a newly-qualified hairdresser and ended up establishing his own business, which developed into the Marvel School of Hair Design and associated businesses. Antonio and Aurora Frattin came in 1956 and he began to work for the Honeyboy Bakery and ended up as superintendent. In 1960, they established the Italian Bakery.

Angelo Toppano sold Italian products in his Crowsnest area store. Earlier immigrants had established grocery stores but they sold the same goods as anybody else. Goods from Italy could not be obtained easily and were expensive. In the post-war wave of immigration, we see another phenomenon and Mr. Frank Spinelli played a key role. Initially he worked in the North but after a work injury, he received a compensation payment and began the Italian Centre Shop. He was a clever businessman and expanded his grocery store into a wholesale business supplying Safeway and other mainstream chains. The Saccomanno brothers, Frank and Maurizio, also began an Italian grocery store. The Italian Centre Shop, fondly referred to as "Spinelli's" in Edmonton's Little Italy. They were to change the food habits of Edmontonians as were restauranteurs such as Giovanni Prete and Carmelo Rago and his father-in-law Maurizio Saccomanno who started the Sorentino chain of restaurants. Ralph Maio set op the popular Sceppas, which flourished in Various downtown locations before becoming Il Forno in the west end. There are numerous other restaurants that have enriched Edmonton's social life. 

Those who came as children (such as Adriana Albi, Silvano Vecchio, Rita Vecchio, Mario Rizzuto) went to university and qualified as teachers, doctors, lawyers and other specialists. Sab Roncucci receiving an award from Minister of Canadian Heritage, Shiela Copps. This was an important sign in the entrenchment of the community and the validation that community members had "made it." Italian immigrants were now a part of the "mainstream." After the struggles of the first generation of immigrants in the three principal waves of immigration to Alberta, Italian Community members in Edmonton have become a part of mainstream society. They have, even, in the case of Sab Roncucci, influenced provincial and national policies in the area of multiculturalism.

Antonella Fanella notes the same patterns of employment in Calgary. has done extensive research with post-war immigrants to Calgary. Many workers moved from Gallelli Construction, Atco Construction (Alberta Trailer), Cana Construction, the City of Calgary, CPR (Ogden Shops) to set up their own businesses with local, regional and national significance. For example, Carlo Simonell began Canfer Rollings Mills, the Blasetti Famil operates Big Horn Transport, Victor Fornar started the New Hatchwear Uniform Company, Mike Ciccaglion created El Molino Foods, and the Forzani Family owns Canada's largest sporting goods retailer, Forzani's

Calgary's Little Italy was in the area of Bridgeland.  Map from Antonella Fanella's book, With Heart and Soul. Others became lawyers and the community include two provincial court judges, Gary Cione and Sal Lovecchio. Others yet became professional athletes including Joe, Joh and Tom Forzani, Massimo and Bruno Geremia, Tom and Tony Spoletini and Mike Palumbo-all played for the Calgary Stampeders. Starting in the Bridgeland/Riverside district, they moved to other parts of the city so much so that a "Little Italy" no longer exists. Calgary's Italians now live in Huntington Hills, Beddington Heights, Dalhousie, Edgement and Silver Springs. The community, numbering 11,240 in 1991, has become mainstream.
 
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