Andrea, Rosa, Antonino, Franca Maio

My immigration story as recounted by Rosa Maio on January 15, 2023.

I was born in Milazzo, Sicily in 1931. My real birthdate is earlier than my recorded birthdate as my father would not have been able to make the trip to register me on my actual birthdate. Like many around us, my family was poor. Many children didn’t go to school. I went to school until grade 3, however was not able to continue my education as the next level school was far away and my father needed my help in the fields. In addition to the labour of his six daughters, he had to employ men as he did not have any sons to do the heavier chores. As children, we carried out the same work as the adults. In the summers, we would wake up early to work in the fields as it would get too hot later in the day.

In summer, we walked and worked barefoot and, in the winter, we wore wooden sandals without socks. We planted tomatoes and lettuce and always raised two calves in the barn. Once we fattened them up, we would sell them off for beef. We also grew grapes and would make wine every September. Some we would keep, but the majority we would sell, having to give two-thirds of the profits to the landowner.

I recall being around nine or ten years old when I saw the first signs of war with fighter planes and the billowing smoke from the bombings in Messina. As the war approached closer to home, we would hear cannons shooting at the German ships that had arrived in the port of Milazzo. Later we would hear German fighter planes dropping bombs. When the sirens and church bells rang out warning, we would run and hide face down under the trees and grape vines, covering our heads with our hands to protect ourselves from the shrapnel.

At one point, we went to our grandmother’s home for refuge where the men dug out an underground shelter. Here we hid to protect ourselves from the shrapnel, but it never would have protected us from a bomb.

One time we walked through a dried-up riverbank to the mountains where it was safer. We asked for safe haven from a farmer and he allowed my family shelter in his barn with his sheep. We stayed here for about a month. During this time, since businesses had all been abandoned, the men would pillage the stores whenever they had the opportunity to get food as we had nothing. As we had left our fields unattended, we lost all our crops upon our return.

I married my husband Andrea at the age of 20 and together we had two children. We were peasant farmers.

My husband’s brother, Stefano, took a one-year course in Rome to specialize in construction in order to be permitted entry to Canada. He had an uncle who was then able to be his guarantor once in the country.

After a couple of years, my brother-in-law called for my husband. In 1959 my husband, children and I travelled from Milazzo to Rome to get a health check to ensure we were fit to come to Canada. We had to be in perfect health – no disabilities or contagious diseases. We also had to get a shot before leaving.

My husband left in May 1959 on the ship Saturnia, with the intentions of staying in Canada a few years to make money and then return to Milazzo. He soon realized that he would need to stay longer to earn enough money, and called for me to come with the children before our VISA expired. The plan was to return to Italy once we were well established.

My family was sorry to see me go. It was difficult to leave but I had to follow my husband.

On October 8, 1959, I left Italy also on the Saturnia, with my two children – Antonino aged 6 and Francesca aged 4. I was 28 years old. After two days on board when we passed Gibraltar, the seas became rough and I was seasick in bed for the rest of the trip. My children had the run of the ship. We arrived in Halifax on October 20, 1959. From Halifax we took a merchant train to Toronto. The trip took two days.

We went to live with my husband’s brother, Stefano, who had sponsored us. My sister-in-law took me around to find work. We hitchhiked from one factory to the next. My first job was at the Sergetti pasta factory where I earned 29 cents/hour. My husband worked in construction, then joined his brother who started an excavation company, Maio Excavators. My husband was the foreman and he operated the excavator. After one year we rented the second storey of a house in Mimico.

My hours at the factory were 7 am to 5 pm. My husband started work at 6 am. He would drive me to work in the company truck. We would leave home at 5:30 am, dropping the children at my sister-in-law’s house. He would drop me off at the factory and the security guard would let me in. I would nap on a pallet until it was time to start work.

To go home, I would walk 10 minutes to the nearest bus stop and would then take 2 busses. I had rubber boots with no lining to wear in the winter. My husband would arrive home between 7:30 and 9 pm.

I worked for 6 years and then had two more children – Josie and Annette. I retired from working and have spent the rest of my life caring for my family. I am now 91 years old and have 4 married children and 9 grandchildren who I helped raise. I also have 8 great-grandchildren. I am very proud of my family. In all, we are 34 proud Canadians.