Italian Introduction

Miners digging in tunnel at Coal Creek. image courtesy of Fort Steele Heritage Town Archives. 159.167

There were virtually no Italian people in the Kootenays prior to 1898, and then they came in a rush to work in the mines. A small number of Italian men first came to British Columbia in the 1850's, attracted by the Cariboo gold rush. More came to B.C. in the 1880's to build the Canadian Pacific Railway. When these men had earned a substantial amount of money, they often sent for their wives and families whom they had left in Italy.

Most of the Italian immigrants originally came from southern Italy while a few were from the northern part of the country. The journey to Canada was long and difficult, and most often men came believing the empty promise that they would have jobs upon their arrival. When they arrived in Canada, usually via Montreal, the promised jobs did not always materialise. The Italian men were forced to live in dirty shacks with other Italian men and with very little food to sustain them. If they could afford the fare, some returned home to Italy, while others did manage to find work in jobs such as railway building and mining. Some only came for a short time, planning to send money home to support their families while making a personal fortune so they could soon return home themselves.

The main influx of Italian labour began in 1898 with the construction of the B.C. Southern Railway, the Canadian Pacific Railway's branch line through the Crowsnest Pass. With the completion of the railway jobs opened up in the new Crowsnest Pass coal mines and the smelter in the thriving city of Trail.

Mr. and Mrs. Georgetti and friends on balcony of the Crown Point Hotel image coutesy of Trail City Archives, BC. 5241

Italian families tended to congregate in the same areas of towns because their language and culture was familiar and a great comfort to people newly arrived in Canada. Family and church were important aspects of their lives. Church provided an avenue for social contacts. In most cases family was the central aspect of Italian life and it was extremely important to respect and honour family.

Within Italy itself, there were regional prejudices. For instance, Northern and Southern Italians often disliked each other, which in some cases led to the same situation in Canada. Another aspect of Italian life was the formation of Italian cultural organisations for those newly arrived and for the women who remained segregated from mainstream society due to limited access to the English language. These served to keep the culture alive and act as support groups. Italian people worked hard to maintain their culture and traditions, and often did not adopt Canadian culture as a substitute.

"Italian Army" image courtesy of Fort Steele Heritage Town Archives FS.264.291

Most Northern European immigrants saw Italians as a lesser culture that might prevent B.C. from creating an imitation of western European society. Often Italians were considered to be uneducated and violent. Some people disliked Italians and said they were part of the Mafia and organised crime. This was not true of most, but some whites believed the stereotype that all Italians were involved in the Mafia and could not be trusted. This misunderstanding of Italian culture and people caused rifts between immigrant groups.

Like other immigrant groups, Italians contributed many wonderful aspects of their culture to Canadian society. Today, Canadians enjoy Italian foods, bocci and much more. As a whole, this group no longer suffers from intolerance against them and they are now part of the mainstream Canadian society.

Italian Digital Photo Album