Angelo and Livia Paladino

Alumni Type: Immigrant
Country of Origin: Italy
Ship Name: Roma // SS Argentina
Port of Entry: Halifax
Date of Arrival: May 30, 1952
Age on Arrival: 23 // 22

Angelo

This is the story of my father, Angelo Paladino and his immigration to Canada. Angelo was born in Santa Croce Di Magliano, Italy in 1928. He had 11 brothers and sisters, two of whom died at a very young age. The depression had cost his grandfather much of their estate and they were left with a little parcel of land which was not enough to feed the entire family and make a living on as well. As a result my dad was forced to leave school at at the very tender age of 8 years old began to work at local farms to make money to help the family survive. He was able to look after animals and as he grew he later was able to work the fields. There was little hope of obtaining any other type of work in the war torn country. With little education or trade he had little to better himself. He longed to leave Italy in search of better opportunities for better work and a better paying job. The only break he had was when he did his military duty and was able to learn to read and write during his tenure there. After serving his required time he returned home. Some relatives had made it to Canada and the U.S. years earlier where they had done well. He was determined to go and seek his fortune at the earliest opportunity.

During this time relatives were introducing various women they thought he would be suited to. His interests however were not in staying in Italy. It was around this time that he saw a photograph of a beautiful young woman at the house of one of her relatives in the next town. When he found out she was in Canada he started to write to her. After exchanging photographs and many letters they felt they were suited to each other. The families met and agreed that they would make a good match so they were married by proxy and my mother sponsored his immigration to Canada. When his immigration was approved arrangements were made for Angelo to travel by ship to the new country. His ship was called the Roma and he left on it in 1953. After eight or nine days at sea, and many on board being sea sick, they finally arrived in Halifax. This was quite a journey since he had not been on a ship before nor seen whales or high waves. It was quite the education for him. He travelled by train from Halifax to Montreal for two days where he finally met my mother, Livia in person. They were remarried at a church ceremony and had a reception to celebrate afterwards where he got to know her relatives as well.

A few months passed and work was difficult to find. Although he did manage to find jobs he could not speak either English or French and this made him unhappy in Montreal. After speaking to relatives in Ontario and the U.S. my dad thought it might be better to live in a smaller town where he would only have one language to have to learn. So they moved to Niagara Falls, On. Shortly afterwards he did find work at the local quarry. He did well for a short time until there was a terrible accident. There was a blasting of some cliffside and my dad was caught under some of the falling rock. He was lucky to have survived it and spent the next two years in hospitals and rehabilitation. It was a very difficult time as he was the sole wage earner and there was little money coming in and Mary had was recently born. My dad had to fight to get the workman’s compensation that was coming to him which took about seven months. He was assisted by a neighbour who wrote letters for him in English to the federal government. They also had to rely on the generosity of others to help them out. My dad was able to recover and when he was able, he searched for another job. He found one working for the Niagara Parks Commission. He worked at various jobs there until his retirement. Throughout the early years my dad never gave up on a life in Canada and became a Canadian citizen. He was able to sponsor three of his brothers to come to Canada as well. He had four children and seven grandchildren here. He has always been grateful and thankful to Canada for the life and opportunities he has had here. He has been happy to call Canada his home.

Livia

This is the story of how my mother, Livia Paladino, (Nee Fratoianni) came to Canada. She was born in Montelongo, Italy in 1928. It is a small town bordering on the Abruzzi/Molese region of Italy. She grew up on a farm and wasn't very old when WWII happened. Her father had been working away from home for five years in Africa. When WWII broke out he was taken prisoner an additional five years. So Livia, her mother, and four other siblings were left to fend for themselves during those ten years. It was a real struggle for her and her family to get by during those difficult years.

After the war her father returned from Africa and was given a government posting in Rome. Livia being one of the eldest children wanted to learn a trade, so she went to live with her father in Rome. She trained to become a seamstress and became very good at it. With few positions available in the war torn country she asked relatives in Canada to sponsor her so she could come to Canada. She had heard from them that there were many opportunities available there. She had no idea what she would find but had faith that it would be better than what she was leaving behind, although she did not want to leave her family. This took a great deal of courage for her to do on her own. Being young and having survived the war she felt up to the task and knew her relatives would help her.

She soon got word that her immigration had been approved and she made arrangements to travel by ship to her new country. Her father brought her to Naples where she boarded her ship. She was very close to her dad and it was a very sad farewell. The ship stopped at several other ports in Europe before crossing the ocean.

The trip took over eight days. The sea was not always calm and my mother never having been on a ship before, unable to swim, it must have been a frightening trip for her. When she arrived in Halifax they had to meet with a customs official. She couldn't speak the language but somehow got through. She was told by someone to buy some food as there would be no food on the train. When she went to buy bread it didn’t look like any bread she had ever seen before. The train ride was a two day journey to Montreal. The view outside her train window was one of tree after tree, and very few buildings. This all seemed very foreign to my mother and she began to wonder if she had made the right decision in coming to Canada. Her concerns quickly vanished however, when she arrived in Montreal and was greeted by her relatives. She immediately felt at home. It wasn't long before she found work and in living with relatives she felt safe and content for the time being.

Her relatives wanted to be helpful, in finding a husband. My mom was introduced to a few suitors. Relatives back in Italy were also busy finding suitors there. My mother trusted her father's judgement and began to write to a man he approved of. His name was Angelo Paladino. After some time and many letters they agreed to marry. They were first married by proxy which made Angelo’s immigration to Canada possible. When he arrived they had a proper wedding ceremony and reception.

Angelo unable to speak either English or French decided to move closer to relatives he had in the Niagara area. Niagara Falls being smaller than Montreal, they thought might be more conducive to securing work and a better life. They have resided in Niagara ever since. They had four children, Mary, Pat, Tony, and Dino. They also have seven grandchildren. Although life had its ups and downs in Niagara, they have been very content living and working there and have never looked back. They were so grateful and happy to be in Canada that they became Canadian citizens. Years later they sponsored other family members to come to Canada. They have prospered in their new country and are very grateful for the opportunities Canada has given them in building their life together. Their children have also prospered and have had children of their own. My mother’s journey into an unknown country left her with a place she could call home and a life she could never have even dreamed of. All the current generations of Paladino’s living in Canada find themselves in this beautiful country because of the courage and determination of Livia Fratoianni Paladino who dared to journey to this new land and made it possible for others to join her.