Vittorio Polletta

I was born in Portolandolfo, Italy, the eldest of nine.

At the age of 25, I signed a contract with the Canadian Pacific Railroad to work as mason in the construction of a railroad from British Columbia to Alaska. I immigrated to Halifax, N.S. by ship which took 7 days and arrived April 1953. I travelled by train to job site in B.C.

There were 30 us on the job. Everything was very primitive and only brooks and ponds for drinking water which was not suitable.

There was a coke machine and as a result of drinking too much coke, I lost all my teeth and became very sick resulting in having to break my work contract. I then went to Toronto and worked as a mason for several years. In later years, I married and moved to USA and became owner of a construction company. Upon retiring, I purchased a dairy farm in up state New York. I retired again, sold the property, and now at leisure to do whatever I wish.