Stories of Belonging: Gino Russo

Two Worlds, One Heart: Gino’s Journey from Calabria to BC.

Gino’s story begins in Grimaldi, Calabria. In 1952, he was just a child when he boarded a ship with his mother and sister to join his father, who had moved to Canada two years earlier to pave the way.

They set sail on November 10th and arrived in Halifax

on November 22nd—twelve long, cold days across the Atlantic. Gino still remembers leaving Italy in shorts because the weather was warm. His mother carried a cardboard suitcase filled with essentials, including frisella—the hard Calabrian bread made to survive long journeys. His sister had a secret, too: two hidden pockets sewn inside her jacket to hide salami, which was forbidden at customs. The plan worked; nothing was discovered.

The Long Road to Trail

Their journey continued across the vastness of Canada. In Montreal, a man sent by Gino’s father met them. He gave Gino’s mother money to buy winter clothes for the children—including a pair of pants for his sister, which was quite a change at a time when women almost exclusively wore skirts.

Thirteen days later, they finally arrived in Trail, BC. They didn’t have a home of their own yet, but in true Italian fashion, family stepped in. A nephew opened his doors and hosted them until their own house was ready.

Gino still vividly remembers his first morning in Trail. His father brought home a loaf of beautiful, shiny Canadian bread. It looked perfect, but when they dipped it into their milk and coffee, it turned to mush—nothing like the hearty, hard bread of Italy. It was his first real glimpse of how different life in Canada would be.

A Life of Sport and Destiny

By 1962, Gino had graduated from high school, already known as a standout basketball player. That fall, he headed to Wenatchee Valley College to study Physical Education and Biology, where he continued to play basketball and even helped start a soccer team.

In 1965, he earned a basketball scholarship that took him to Calgary. A few years later, in 1968, he returned to Italy for a visit. For a moment, he didn’t want to leave—Italy felt like home again. But his sister was getting married back in Canada, so he returned. As it turned out, destiny was waiting for him.

He met Janet at college, and they married in 1969. Together, they built a sprawling, beautiful life: four children (and a foster child who became family), seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

Today, Gino says he belongs to two places: Italy, which shaped his heart, and Canada, where he built his future.