Rino Sacilotto is Matt Crocker’s grandfather. He was born in small town in northeast Italy called Chions on October 6th, 1927. He was the youngest of six brothers and three sisters. His father, Atillio, was a farmer and the whole family worked on the farm. Rino lived in Chions until he was 24 years old, having experienced the Second World War from ages 12 to 18. His first immigration experience was to Aubonne, Switzerland, where he worked on a vineyard from 1951 to 1953. In 1954, Rino immigrated from Italy to Canada. He came by a ship called the Homeland and arrived at Pier 21, Halifax, Nova Scotia . His first working experience was in Lynne Lake, Manitoba, working on repairs to the Canadian National Railway . He worked on the railway for 1 year. In 1955 he moved to Toronto, Ontario and worked as a bricklayer for 37 years. He is now 83 years old, retired and lives with his wife, Rita Sacilotto in Toronto, Ontario. Rino was interviewed for this project in March 2011 by his grandson, Crestwood student Matt Crocker.
Videos
- 1. Early Memories; Life on the Farm
- 2. Impacts of WW2
- 3. The Fascist Party; Bombings
- 4. Soldiers and Partisans
- 5. Fears
- 6. Mussolini and Propaganda
- 7. Emigration to Canada
- 8. Work in Canada
- 9. Working on the Railroad
- 10. Working as a Bricklayer
- 11. Expectations and Opportunities in Canada
- 12. Canadian Citizenship