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Researcher Seeks Information about Italian
communities in southeastern Rockies
By Michale Lang
On July 17 and 18, 2000, over 200 Italians who had lived in
Field, B.C. throughout the 20th century came home. They brought with
them their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. They
also brought their stories of life in a mountain village.
The stories they told reflected happy memories of a beautiful
place. Few spoke of the isolation or of the harsh environment. I
wondered if, like me, some of those who came home also had sad
memories of lives lost, either to change or death, if they shed some
tears in private moments. I talked to some who visited the
graveyard, a visit to those who are no longer with us an essential
part of coming home. Sad memories remained unspoken.
The life and vitality of the Italian people brought a palpable
energy to the community. They brought the food of their culture to a
potluck that at times seemed like a scene from a Fellini film,
volunteers pushing their way through queues to get the food on the
tables, children running around, and loud voices mingling in a
mixture of Italian and English. Not everyone who came home was
Italian. Ukrainian and other ethnic food also graced the table and
everyone shared their memories of growing up together. Some
schoolmates had not seen each other for over 30 years.
"I still miss living here" were words I heard repeated
again and again throughout the two days of the reunion. "I
can't be away from the mountains for too long, or I just don't
feel right." I never knew before that so many people shared my
feelings about being without mountains.
Most of the Italians who came to Field throughout the 20th
century had no idea what they were coming to in these mountains.
Like other immigrants, many of them fled situations of extreme
poverty to find jobs and a better life for their families in a new
land. They arrived to discover a cold, difficult place with few
amenities. I was surprised to discover that, in the early part of
the century, some men travelled to Canada to work for the summer and
returned to Italy for the winter, many finding passage on Canadian
Pacific's ships. I interviewed Gilbert Port, who is now 89. He
came to Field at the age of 16 in the late 1920s and stayed until
1948. His father was one of those workers who made annual ocean
crossings, working as a gardener for the YMCA during the summers
and returning to his family in Italy every winter. His wife never
came to Canada, but his sons immigrated to British Columbia and
became hoteliers in Field and Kimberly.
By the middle of the century, more workers brought their families
and set about making homes for themselves. Often the men would come
first to work for a few years, and their wives would follow later.
Many of these immigrants came from Calabria in southern Italy. It
must have been quite a shock to leave a Mediterranean climate and
attempt to make a life in an alpine environment, but they succeeded.
The Italians grew beautiful vegetable and flower gardens. Many of
the women grew herbs on their windowsills throughout the year. Even
in the 1970s, when I lived in Field, at least one Italian family
raised chickens in their back yard for fresh eggs and meat. This was
not a common thing to see in any town at the time. In the fall,
trains would bring grapes from Calgary and many families made their
own wine.
Starting with the ingredients they grew, they introduced the
community to the wonderful food that is so central to Italian
culture. One of the Italians at the reunion dinner said that the
tomato salad we served (thanks to Spolumbo's, an Italian Deli in
Calgary) tasted exactly like his mother's tomato salad. For him,
it brought back memories of childhood summers in Field. How his
mother managed to grow tomatoes in Field baffles me.
Because so many of these people spoke of how much they love the
mountains and how good it was growing up there, it puzzles me that
all of them left Field. Not one of the Italian families who lived
and raised their children in Field stayed there. Neither did they
all move to warmer, more forgiving climates. Although some moved to
Golden, Central British Columbia, or Vancouver, many also moved to
Alberta. They left for a variety of reasons, including retiring
closer to their children or moving to where there was better work,
but they all left Field.
I am conducting a research project that will look at the life of
Italians in Field and other communities in the Bow Corridor. If
anyone has information about the Italian communities in the Rockies
or would like to provide input, please contact me. I hope that the
research will result in a book or series of articles and a video
that will preserve these stories and document an important piece of
immigration history. Thanks to funding from Museums Alberta, video
documentation began at the Italian Homecoming in Field.
The Homecoming reminded those of us who still live in the
community of how much we lost when the Italians left. They brought a
life and vibrancy to our little village that has not yet been
replaced. We miss them, but we're glad they came home to visit for
a few days in July.
Michale Lang is a researcher/writer and museum consultant
currently working at the Glenbow Museum, in Calgary. She has degrees in Historic
Resource Management and Education and extensive experience in
museums throughout the province of Alberta. She can be contacted at
403-270-1826 or you can write to her at 1640 Bowness Road, NW,
Calgary, AB T2N 3J9. Her current email address is mlang@glenbow.org
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