Violini, Giovanni and Luigia (Falasconi)
Updated: Oct 13
On December 4, 1906, at the age of 28, Giovanni Violini arrived at Ellis Island before travelling by train to Bankhead, Alberta, near Banff, where he found work as a coal miner. One year later, his wife, Luigia Violini, arrived with their two children, Natale and Ferdinando.
Their third child, Igenio “Gino,” stayed behind in Urbania, in the province of Pesaro, because he was not yet two months old when the family departed. Only in 1912 was little Gino finally reunited with them — a difficult separation that echoed the experiences of many immigrant families of the era.
Once settled in Bankhead, Luigia opened a boarding house where she provided meals and shelter for 14 miners. Around 1910, another future family patriarch, Luigi Fantin, arrived in Bankhead after emigrating from Corlo, in the province of Vicenza.
Luigi travelled across the United States with a friend and reportedly financed part of his journey through bare-knuckle boxing. After arriving in California with limited opportunities, he learned about Canada’s Homestead Act and was drawn by the possibility of owning free land. He eventually settled in Bankhead, where he worked as a steam engineer.
Although Luigi was not yet married, arrangements had already been made for him to marry Maria Caenaro by proxy in Cismon del Grappa. Maria arrived in Canada in 1912, and the couple married in Calgary, with Giovanni and Luigia Violini serving as witnesses.
After the Bankhead mine closed, the Violini family relocated to Calgary, while the Fantin family moved to a homestead near Mayerthorpe, Alberta.In Calgary, Giovanni first worked for a liquor vendor, travelling between mining towns to sell alcohol. When prohibition came into effect, he started his own business focused on buying, selling, and delivering coal. He also worked in construction, concrete, and brickwork. His company poured the first foundation for St. John’s Church on 10 Street NW (now demolished).
In 1925, Giovanni built the family’s first home in Calgary’s Sunnyside district. Luigia raised chickens and sold eggs to families in the neighbourhood while raising nine children — six boys and three girls — before later adopting another daughter.
The Violini family lived in the Sunnyside home built by Giovanni and Luigia, where they raised their ten children. The oldest boys attended Sunnyside Bungalow School, while the younger children attended St. John’s and later St. Mary’s School.
Giovanni wanted all of his children to learn a musical instrument; however, not all were interested. Natale (Nate) and Ferdinando (Nando) showed the greatest musical aptitude, and Nando learned several instruments. He later played in Maestro Pompilio’s Italian Boys’ Band.
Giovanni continued working in his coal business, making deliveries to many businesses, including the Palliser Hotel, as well as numerous residences. During the Depression, times became difficult, and the business struggled. Giovanni died in 1937 at the age of 60. His sons were either too young or already established in other occupations, and the business eventually ended.
Many members of the Violini family and their descendants remained in Calgary.
Violini Family circa 1930
Back L to R Ferdinando (Nando), Natale (Nate), Igenio (Gino), Ildofonso (Alfonse)
Middle Row L to R Maria (Mary), Giovanni (John), Luigia (Louise), Italia, Front Row L to R Luigi
(Louie), Leontina (Tina) and Carlo* (Charlie)
The Violini Children
Natale (Nate), the oldest child, married Nicolina Moretti and purchased a home in Riverside (later renamed Bridgeland-Riverside), where they had one son. Nate worked at Burns’ Meat Packing Plant and, along with Nicolina, welcomed recent Italian immigrants by renting rooms in their basement suite.
Ferdinando (Nando) married Dorothy (Dorotea Fantin), and they lived in Sunnyside and later Kensington. Nando and Dorothy raised nine children, five girls and four boys. Nando worked for the CPR, while Dorothy managed the household, cooked, sewed clothing, and held several jobs, including working as a cook at Camp Cadicasu for 20 years. Dorothy’s pizza became well known among family and friends.Igenio “Gino” became a priest and served at several parishes in Southern Alberta. In the early 1960s, he was transferred to St. Mary’s Cathedral, where he played an important role in assisting many Italian immigrants.
Maria (Mary) contracted polio at the age of three and was hospitalized many times as a child. She used crutches to walk and later in life a wheelchair. Mary became a seamstress and operated her own shop on 10th Street NW for several years. She made clothing and alterations for many people, including dresses for her mother. She also excelled in knitting, crochet, needlework, and petit point, with many of her creations displayed in family homes.
Ildofonso (Ildo or Alphonse) left school early to help support the family during the Depression. He became a machinist with a Journeyman certificate and, through further education, earned a First-Class Power Engineering diploma. He served for four years as a Flight Sergeant in the Canadian Air Force during the Second World War. He married Kay (Katherine Anheglier), and they had two children. They lived in the Capitol Hill neighbourhood.
Italia entered the Ursuline convent in Rockyford and became an Ursuline Sister (Sister Antonia). She was an excellent cook and served her fellow sisters in Rockyford, Alberta, and Chatham, Ontario. Later in life, Italia experienced mental health challenges and spent many years at L’Hôtel-Dieu in Montreal. Her family missed her greatly, but church policies prevented her return to Calgary.
Leontina (Tina) married Harold (Harry) Dutton and lived in Kensington, only a few blocks from Nando and Dorothy. Tina and Harry raised ten children: three daughters and seven sons. Harry worked at the CPR with Nando. Tina was also known for her cooking and beautiful crocheted tablecloths and bedspreads.
Luigi (Louie) worked for Canada Post for many years as a postman. He married Iolanda, and they had three daughters. After their divorce, Iolanda and the girls moved to Vancouver. Louie lived most of his life in Sunnyside and later moved to Vancouver after retirement to be closer to his daughters.
Coralbo (Charlie) married Lina (Angelina Fantin), Dorothy’s younger sister. They had five children: four daughters and one son. With brothers Nando and Charlie marrying sisters Dorothy and Lina, the two families were often mistaken as one very large family. Charlie worked in the food industry, first driving a truck for MacDonald’s Consolidated and later as a salesman for Kraft Foods. After living on 10 Street in Kensington, Charlie and Lina moved to the farm north of Mayerthorpe, where Lina grew up. After one year of farming, they settled in Capitol Hill across the lane from Ildo and his family. Charlie’s mother, Luigia, and Lina’s mother, Maria Fantin, both lived with their family.
Theresa was adopted by Giovanni and Luigia around 1933. She married Larry Bramley, and they moved to Campbell River, British Columbia, where they raised three children: two sons and one daughter.
Family Legacy
From the 1930s through the 1960s, the Violini family continued to grow into a large extended family. While the men worked in various occupations, the women worked tirelessly to feed and clothe their families, often balancing household responsibilities with paid employment in dry cleaners, laundries, and other businesses. During the war years, the family worked together sewing and altering clothing, ensuring the children always had what they needed.
Family gatherings remained an important tradition. Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and Easter celebrations brought generations together, often filling the family home with food, conversation, and laughter.
One cherished family tradition was making crescia, a Marche-region bread rich with Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, black pepper, nutmeg, and plenty of eggs. Descendants continue this tradition today.
For much of the twentieth century, any Violini living in Calgary or across Canada was likely part of the extended family. The Violini legacy continues through the generations that followed.
Written by: Evelyn Violini
Sources: Family records, photographs, and personal recollections.
Editorial Review: Reviewed and formatted by the Calgary Italian History Project for web publication.