Umbertinese

Alumni Type: Immigrant
Country of Origin: Italy
Ship Name: Queen Frederica
Port of Entry: Pier 21
Date of Arrival: March 31, 1964
Age on Arrival: 4

Gaetano, Angela, Luciana, and Pina arrived at Pier 21 on March 31, 1964 aboard the Queen Frederica. The journey from Supino, a small community in the Province of Frosinone, started early February of 1964 as the family prepared to immigrate to Canada, the country known as the land of opportunity. In Supino, Gaetano worked as an electrician for the telephone company and Angela stayed home on the family’s farm to raise the children and help Gaetano’s parents with the farm work. The two young parents packed their personal belongings into one suitcase, courageously leaving their parents and friends behind them to seek a better life for their two young daughters. With teary eyes, on February 23 the Umbertinese family left Italy via Napoli. The journey was exhausting for all and when they finally arrived to Canada and made it off the ship they certainly were unaccustomed to the snow and the very cold weather.

Somehow, they were able to make their way to the train station even though they did not speak a word of English. The family boarded the train and started their second part of their journey to Toronto. They would have their first Canadian meal on this train. As part of the meal white loaf bread was served, this bread was different in texture and taste compared to the bread they ate in Italy. Gaetano said to his family that this is English bread and to this day the family refers to white loaf bread as English bread. After two days on the train, they arrived at Union Station in Toronto, awaiting them were Zio Rocco and Zia Erma to welcome them to Canada. Onwards they went to Zia Erma’s house on Northcliffe Blvd., near Dufferin St & St. Clair Ave. The family lived with Zia Erma, Zio Rocco and their three daughters for two years. Soon after their arrival, Gaetano and Angela went out to find work, Luciana started school and Pina stayed at home with Zia Erma as she was too young to attend school. In 1965, just a year after their arrival to Canada, Gaetano and Angela welcomed their son, Walter, the first official Canadian Citizen in the family. They were so happy that Canada had given them a son.

In their second year the family had to find new housing as Zio Nello was going to arrive in Toronto with his family, and the Umbertineses had to move out to make more space for them at Zia Irma’s house. Gaetano needed to find new housing for his young family. In 1966 there was no internet to advertise rentals; his only option was to knock on doors in the neighbourhood to see if someone would rent a basement or second floor to him and his family. Many said no and were not interested in renting to a family with three young children. Fortunately, he knocked on a door on Westmount Avenue, here he found a kind woman who was compassionate and was willing to rent out the second floor of her home to the Umbertineses. This became their home for the next few years and here they became good friends with Joe, a Real Estate Agent, the brother of their landlord who would later help them with the purchase of their first home and help to translate as they applied for their first mortgage.

Gaetano and Angela’s goal was to own their own home and they saved enough money for a down payment to purchase their first home on Cloverlawn Avenue near Dufferin Street. They were so proud of this accomplishment; they had a house of their very own and now even had to work harder to own this home free and clear.

In the early years, Gaetano provided for his family by working construction, an honest day’s work, as he would say and Angela worked as a factory worker. To help with the cost of the home, they rented the second floor of the home to boarders. The dining room was converted to Gaetano and Angela’s bedroom and the living room was a TV room during the day and at night became the children’s bedroom. Both parents would go to work during the day and at night they came home to their second job of cleaning, making meals and doing laundry for the boarders. The family grew again, in 1971 Gaetano and Angela welcomed their daughter Diana. The house on Cloverlawn was now too small for the family and in 1972 they moved to a new home in North York.

In 1976, Gaetano, Angela, Luciana and Pina became Canadian Citizens. 2014 marks the 50th year anniversary of their arrival to Canada and to commemorate this milestone a brick was installed at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, the same location they landed 50 years ago.

During the holidays, Gaetano and Angela often marvel at the fact that only four came to Canada from Italy and today there are a family of twenty-five and still growing! The family has more than quadrupled in size since 1964. Today Gaetano & Angela’s family includes 4 children, 3 son-in-laws, 1 daughter-in-law, 9 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. And all these opportunities would not have happened if one young family hadn’t packed up that one suitcase.