Italian Immigration and Resilience in Calgary (1918–1950)
Updated: Oct 1
The Impact of the First World War and Postwar Calgary
The First World War brought the first era of Italian immigration to an abrupt halt. There were approximately 85 Italians from Calgary and area who enlisted in the Canadian war effort, returned to Europe, or shifted into war‑related labour. When the war ended in 1918, Calgary— like much of the world—was changed.
With the arrival of Antonio Milano as an official Consul of Italy in 1914, the Italians had a formal voice and assistance. In 1915, Milano wrote a letter to the Mayor of Calgary addressing concerns regarding the treatment of Italian labourers in the city. Signed on behalf of “The Italian Club,” the letter called for fairness, mutual respect, and equal opportunity during a difficult period marked by war and uncertainty. A copy of the original correspondence between Antonio Milano and the Mayor of Calgary, and the story behind it, can be found in “A Letter from Calgary’s Italian Community During the First World War.”
Returning soldiers from WWI brought with them to Canada the devastating Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1918–1919, which claimed hundreds of lives in Calgary and disrupted daily life for months. Public gatherings were restricted, businesses closed, and entire neighbourhoods were affected. Yet even amid loss and uncertainty, Calgary began to rebuild.
The Second Wave of Italian Immigration
By the early 1920s, the city entered another period of growth. The Streetcar system expanded during this time, servicing Bridgeland, Hillhurst, Centre Street North, and many other areas. A special streetcar line was built especially for Bowness Park so Calgarians could enjoy the park for concerts and picnics. Sidewalks, paved roads, power and telephone lines were all part of the expansion into the communities. Calgary’s population, which had stagnated during the war years, began to rise again, reaching approximately 80,000 by the mid‑1920s. Construction resumed, and the Palliser Hotel grew by 4 stories, making it the tallest building. The Hudson Bay erected the iconic building that we all know. Downtown buildings were added to 8th Ave.
As rail activity increased, Calgary became a transportation hub and demand for labour returned. Calgary attracted many businesses and became a major city. This period marked the beginning of the second wave of Italian immigration to Calgary.
Unlike the earlier wave, this migration was more deliberate and often family‑oriented. Many Italians arrived between 1918 and 1927, joining relatives and paesani who had already established themselves in the city. Letters sent home described steady wages and opportunity, encouraging others to follow. Most entered Canada through eastern ports and travelled west by train, arriving in Calgary with little more than personal belongings and the support of an already‑formed community.
Employment remained physically demanding. Italians worked in railway maintenance, road construction, brickmaking, quarrying, and general labour, continuing to play a critical role in Calgary’s infrastructure. The City of Calgary remained a major employer, as did large businesses such as Burns Foods, the Palliser Hotel, Calgary Brewery, and, of course, Gallelli Construction. Many individuals became entrepreneurs. Italian labourers were valued for their endurance and skill, particularly in masonry and stonework.
Building Community Life in Calgary
Settlement patterns became more stable during this period. Sunnyside, Hillhurst, Riverside and Bridgeland continued to grow as centres of Italian life. Boarding houses slowly gave way to family homes. Gardens became common, reflecting Old World traditions adapted to prairie soil. The first generation of Canadian Italian children were being born at the General and Holy Cross Hospitals. They learned English quickly while maintaining the Italian language and customs at home and through Giovanni Caboto Loggia. The children born in Calgary and those who arrived from Italy grew up together, forming deep friendships as they attended local schools, played on baseball, hockey, and soccer teams, served as altar servers, sang in church and school choirs, took music and dance lessons, and played in bands—friendships that often lasted a lifetime and, in many cases, continued across generations, even growing into marriages that bound families together.
The Great Depression: Hardship and Resilience
In 1929, the Great Depression severely limited employment opportunities in Canada, and Calgary was no exception. Immigration restrictions tightened, and economic hardship made life especially difficult for newcomers. Calgary’s Italian community, many of whom worked in construction, railways, and manual labour, were hit hard by job losses and unstable wages. Despite these challenges, those who were able to help stepped forward. Families shared food and housing, community members helped one another find work, and strong social networks provided support during times of hardship. This cooperation and resilience helped Calgary’s Italian community survive the economic crisis.
As a result, the Italian community established in Calgary during the 1900–1930 period became the foundation upon which later generations would build. It also bound many of us together through marriages.
By the end of the 1920s, Italians were no longer simply newcomers. They were workers, neighbours, and contributors to Calgary’s growth—having laid the groundwork for a vibrant community that would expand again in the postwar years.
During the Great Depression, the City of Calgary took steps to reduce unemployment and relieve hardship by investing in public works projects and relief programs. Major projects such as the construction of the Glenmore Dam, along with road building and water and sewer improvements, provided much-needed jobs for unemployed workers.
The city also offered relief in the form of food vouchers, housing assistance, and work-for- relief programs, often working alongside local charities. The federal government supported Calgary by providing relief funding to municipalities and provinces and by helping finance large infrastructure projects like the Glenmore Dam. Although assistance was limited at first, increased federal involvement in the 1930s played an important role in supporting Calgary residents during the economic crisis and in building lasting infrastructure for a growing population.
In 1927, the Italian government under Benito Mussolini imposed strict controls on emigration, viewing population loss as a threat to national strength. These policies significantly restricted the number of Italians who were permitted to leave the country. This caused immigration to cease.
The Second World War: Challenges and Contributions
With the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Italian immigration to Canada came to a halt, as Italians were classified as “enemy aliens.” In Calgary, the impact on the Italian community was mixed. Some families noticed little change in their daily lives, continuing to work and live quietly within established neighbourhoods. Others, however, experienced suspicion, discrimination, and increased scrutiny from authorities. As a result, parts of Calgary’s Italian community became more cautious and inward‑focused, relying on close family ties and community support to get through the war years.
In addition to Red Cross fundraising and war bond purchases, Calgary’s Italian community organizations supported the war effort through blood drives, donations to soldiers’ relief funds, and participation in Victory Loan campaigns. They also organized community events to raise money for civilian relief in Allied countries and encouraged members to contribute to civil defence and wartime charities. Many dozens of Italian men from Calgary and the surrounding area enlisted in the Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force during the Second World War, contributing alongside other Calgarians despite facing suspicion and discrimination.
In 1940, the Canadian government ordered all Italian associations and clubs to disband. In Calgary, this led to the disbanding of the Italo-Canadian Society, which had played an important role in community life. As a result, many Italians became less publicly visible and kept cultural activities within their homes during the war years.
Italian Canadian internment was the removal and internment of Italian Canadians during World War II following Italy's June 10, 1940, declaration of war against the United Kingdom. Through the War Measures Act, the government of Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King gave itself the power to suspend habeas corpus, revoke rights, seize property, and arrest those who were deemed a threat to the safety of Canada—labelling 31,000 Italian Canadians as "enemy aliens". An enemy alien was defined as someone who did not become a naturalized citizen by September 1, 1929. Between 1940 and 1943, between 600 and 700 Italian Canadian men, including 6 from Alberta, were arrested and sent to internment camps as potentially dangerous "enemy aliens" with alleged fascist connections. At this time, there were approximately 115,000 Italians in Canada, of whom about 3,500, or 3%, supported Mussolini.
If that proportion is applied to Alberta's Italian population of 4,802, it suggests that perhaps only about 144 individuals may have been fascist supporters—a relatively small minority. Enemy aliens—Italians and Germans, including some who were born in Canada—were required to register with the RCMP, be fingerprinted, and report regularly. They were placed under surveillance, and many were required to carry their Certificate of Registration and present it to authorities upon request.
At first, the City of Calgary fired 24 Italian employees of the Water and Sewer Department only to rehire them shortly after. All employees were told they could only speak English or French on the job. Others in the Community did face discrimination-for example, an application to become a pilot and navigator by the son of an Italian immigrant was rejected by the RCAF.
Here is a story as told by Audrey Forzani:
“When war breaks out, Jean Santopinto, Mary B and Dora B and Audrey DeNegri later Forzani were pulled into the office of Mr. Trimble, the Superintendent of the Bay. He says, “War’s been declared and Mussolini’s gone with Hitler. We were all wondering what he is talking about because we were all born in Calgary, and he says, you girls, if you keep your mouths shut and not give your opinion about anything, we will keep you on. But the minute you cause a little bit of trouble, or if there’s a ripple around that you say something derogatory against the war, we will have to let you go. We wondered what is he talking about? For Pete’s sake! We were warned not to say anything or give our opinion. I don’t remember having an opinion. War was over there; we felt sorry for the people, but we never discussed.”
Source: Fanella, Antonella. With Heart and Soul: Calgary's Italian Community. Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 1999, pp. 45–46.
Hostility toward Italians was evident throughout Alberta. Italians who were suspected of being fascist leaders or sympathizers were arrested and sent to internment camps, although many were later released. In Calgary, the only Italian interned was Antonio Rebaudengo, who spent three years at the Kananaskis, Petawawa, and Gagetown camps before being released in September 1943.
In the Crow's Nest Pass, the mining industry's need for labour kept many Italians out of the internment camps. A Mine Manager was purported to say, “We cannot fire all the Italians and Germans as that would close the mine as the English would not go underground”.
Another survivor sums up the wartime experience: “We were called 'dago', 'Mussolini', 'fascist'; we tried to ignore it. We were the minority. We were the aliens. War was not on our side. “ On November 4, 1990, Prime Minister Brian Mulroney offered an unofficial, full, and unqualified apology to Italian Canadians for their treatment as "enemy aliens" and the internment camps established during the Second World War. Mulroney's statement was delivered at a National Congress of Italian Canadians gathering in Toronto rather than officially in the House of Commons.
In May 2009, Massimo Pacetti introduced Bill C-302, an "Act to recognize the injustice that was done to persons of Italian origin through their “enemy alien' designation and internment during the Second World War, and to provide for restitution and promote education on Italian Canadian history [worth $2.5 million]", which was passed by the House of Commons on April 28, 2010. Canada Post was also to issue a commemorative postage stamp commemorating the internment of Italian Canadians; unfortunately, Bill C-302 did not pass through the necessary stages to become law.
Although the 1990 apology was made, many members of the Italian Canadian community sought a formal apology in Parliament. In 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau delivered the formal House of Commons apology on behalf of the Canadian government.
This legacy of discrimination was formally acknowledged in 2021 when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued an official apology to Italian Canadians for the injustices experienced during the Second World War.
The apology and related historical record can be viewed here.
Trudeau apologizes to Italian Canadians for internment during WW2
While the number of Internees in Alberta was small, the experience of internment and “enemy alien designation affected the community for years to come. It was not cool to be Italian after the war. Assimilation took place, and in the 21st Century it seemed Italian was “cool” again; the culture, food, travel was embraced!
Post-War Immigration and the Growth of Calgary’s Italian Community
After the Second World War, starting in 1949, many Italian immigrants came to Calgary through family sponsorship, as earlier settlers helped relatives immigrate under Canada’s relaxed immigration policies. This chain migration played a key role in rebuilding and expanding the Italian community. While exact numbers are difficult to determine, several thousand Italians settled in Calgary between the late 1940s and the 1960s, contributing to rapid community growth. These newcomers helped strengthen family networks and supported Calgary’s postwar economic development. Thus began the third wave of Italians to settle in Calgary.
Many settled just northeast of downtown in Bridgeland and Inglewood, drawn by affordable housing, proximity to rail yards and construction work, and the presence of earlier Italian families. Over time, the neighbourhood evolved into what Calgarians came to know as Little Italy. Social clubs, schools, and Catholic parishes became anchors of daily life, even as public expressions of Italian identity were often muted in the post‑war years. Assimilation was both practical and necessary. Yet the physical and cultural imprint remained. Many of the third‑wave immigrants were more inclined toward entrepreneurship, establishing Italian grocery stores, restaurants, construction firms, and trades that helped define Calgary’s Little Italy and the greater city.
By the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Bridgeland’s Italian roots were no longer something to downplay but to celebrate. What once marked newcomers as outsiders became a point of pride—Italian food, language, and heritage embraced as integral to Calgary’s story. In reclaiming Little Italy, the descendants of those post‑war settlers affirmed that Italian culture was not just “fashionable” again, but foundational to the city they helped build.
A Lasting Legacy
From the early settlers of the 1900s through the hardships of the war years and the arrival of new waves in the decades that followed, they carried with them hope, resilience, and a longing for a better life. In Calgary, they did more than settle—they built homes, communities, and lasting legacies, holding tightly to their Italian traditions, faith, and way of life, and passing them on through generations. Through hard work, enduring friendships, and a deep sense of family, our great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents paved the way for those who came after—leaving a legacy of memories, traditions, and enduring bonds that resonate across generations.
Sources: See Resource Page under Italian Immigration and Resilience in Calgary (1918–1950) Written and compiled by: Theresa Taverna
Editorial Review: Reviewed and formatted by the Calgary Italian History Project for web publication