Carmine and Clementina Belvedere

Story of Carmine Belvedere, wife Clementina and children Marie and Lucy: As told by Lina Van Esch

Both Carmine and Clementina grew up in the hard times of their era. Little Dina, deprived of any schooling, had great burdens and hardships while assisting her widowed mother, Maria, who could barely feed her family. The couple courted 3 years during their mid-teens as the bombs fell on the town. There were no photos taken on October 27th, 1945, at their wedding (the bride wearing a borrowed suit). The newlyweds lived with the Belvedere family, common to many families due to poverty. It was a crowded home, which often led to conflict.

Maria Giuseppina was born November 6th, 1946 and Lucia on October 5th, 1949. Carmine decided to join other Castropignano Immigrants in Port Colborne, who had sought work and a better life for their families.

On January 22nd, 1952, on the ship Italia, he arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax, sponsored by Peter Rivando, a friend to Father Raphaele. After 2 years of saving while living with Olga and Gennaro Iocca, Carmine was able to reunite with his wife and children. The family arrived December 13th, 1953 on the S.S. Homeland, after a rough ocean voyage that made many feel very ill.

With only a grade 3 education, Carmine bravely attended night school to learn more English and held several jobs as a labourer (shoe factory, Maple Leaf Mill). He was later hired at Inco, a nickel company. He remained there for 30 years. Dina too did many back breaking jobs (farms, canning, shoe and poultry factories).

Their goal: build and own a home.