Marino Dibenedetto

Alumni Type: Immigrant
Country of Origin: Italy
Ship Name: MS Saturnia
Port of Entry: Pier 21
Date of Arrival: March 29, 1958
Age on Arrival: 18

I first decided to come to Canada when I was 17 years old. I wanted to come to Canada, because I wanted a better life and future. It was post WWII and my family wasn't doing great we lived on a farm and we weren't financially stable, that's why I decided to move to Canada. I applied to take a ship to Canada but they told me I had to be 18 to migrate to a new country. So I waited until I turned 18 to go back to Rome, and when I came back they gave me a form to fill out so I can move to Canada. On March 19, 1958 I left the country I was born in to start a new life in a new country. I arrived in Canada March 29 1958 (10 days after I departed from Italy.)From Halifax I moved to Toronto, Ontario in 39 Concord Street where my sister lived. Three years later I met my future wife Maria; she was from the same province as me, but we never met in Italy. I currently have three kids and four grandchildren. I currently live in Bolton, Ontario with my beautiful wife.