Women's Narratives

Isa (Isotta) was born in 1915 in Calgary to parents Maria Iafolla and Guiseppie Buccini who had immigrated from Villalago, L'Aquila, Italy in 1912. She was the third of seven children, growing up in Bridgeland alongside many other first-generation Italian Canadians. Isa attended St. Angela’s School and later St. Mary’s High School. During World War II, Isa served in the Royal Canadian Air Force. After the war, she worked at the Unemployment Commission, but found the job unexc

Italian women named societies after Adelaide Bono Cairoli because she was regarded as the "Mother of the Nation" and the ultimate symbol of patriotic sacrifice during the Risorgimento (the movement for Italian unification). For many 19th-century Italians, she represented the ideal woman who combined domestic virtue with profound civic commitment. Her legacy, and the reason her name was adopted by women’s organizations, stems from the following: ​Adelaide Bono Cairoli was the

Featured in the Calgary Herald in 1966, Julia Gallelli was recognized as the driving force behind the success of the Gallelli family and construction business. A devoted mother, hardworking matriarch, and strong supporter of her children, she helped guide the family from humble beginnings to one of Calgary’s respected construction firms while preserving strong Italian family values and traditions.

Cesira DiPaolo (née Iafolla) was born on May 9, 1900, in the mountain village of Villalago, L’Aquila, to Concetta Grossi and Alfonso Iafolla. Life in the family home was busy and demanding, shaped by the rhythms of rural life and the needs of a large household. As the fourth of seven children, Cesira quickly learned responsibility, often caring for her younger siblings while the older ones worked in the fields. From an early age, she became accustomed to helping wherever she

MARY THERESA GALLELLI was born in 1916, the third child of Nick and Julia Gallelli, the only girl with four brothers. In the years the Gallelli business was run from the family home, Mary assisted her mother in all the office dealings, handling telephones, booking jobs, hiring employees and assembling and dispensing the payroll. Payroll was distributed from the house and payday saw employees lined up and out the door at the Gallelli home. GALLELLI FAMILY Front: Harry, Julia,

In 1922, Antonio and Angelina Rebaudengo arrived in Calgary with their infant son, Mario, eager to begin a new life and join Antonio’s brother, Cesare. Both were from Piemonte—Antonio from Piozzo (Cuneo) and Angelina from Coassolo, Torinese. Antonio left Italy due to his opposition to Communism. They settled in Bridgeland until the 1930’s when they moved across the river to 324 5 Ave East where they lived for many decades. In Calgary, Antonio worked for the Canadian Pacific