Heritage Community Foundation Presents
Alberta Online Encyclopedia


     Home > People > Oral History Projects > Dante Alighieri Oral History Project >
     Angelo Toppano

     Angelo Toppano

Visit AlbertaSource!



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

Year of the Coal Miner September 2003 - 2004


Angelo Toppano, the "Maccaroni King" of Coleman.Angelo Toppano arrived in Coleman (via New York and Montreal) on May 9, 1913, from the province of Udine in northern Italy. Angelo was 15 at the time, and joined his father who had come to Coleman in 1906 to make enough money to return home and provide a better standard of living for his family. Although Angelo was 15 years old, in school he was placed in grade 3 with 8 year olds - and felt very out of place! Despite his father's wish for a good education, Angelo decided to work picking rock on the coal mine tipple, but to please his dad he also attended school at night. Angelo worked in the mines for awhile and eventually opened and operated a general store in Coleman. He believed that small independent businesses were the "backbone of the nation".

The interview was conducted by Giancarlo Grelli for the Dante Alighieri Oral History Project in 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.

Listen to Oral History  |  Read Transcript Summary 

[back] [top]

Copyright © 2002 Heritage Community Foundation

Albertasource.ca | Contact Us | Partnerships
            For more on Italian Alberta, visit Peel’s Prairie Provinces.
Copyright © Heritage Community Foundation All Rights Reserved