Maria and Frank D'Ambrosio

It was winter 1958 and my husband Frank, myself and our 1½ year old daughter, Pierina, arrived in Halifax at Pier 21 after our long journey from Italy. I remember tasting the soft white bread for the first time. We were on the train headed for our two day train ride to Toronto. When the server came around with his bread, we didn't know what to think. We surely thought we would not be able to swallow it since we couldn't crunch it in our teeth. We thought it might get stuck in our throat! Now I look back with wonder as Frank and I are about to celebrate 50 years of marriage, and I think of how far we have come since then and how we have provided our family with a better life.

Maria D'Ambrosio, Toronto, March 2005