STORIES OF BELONGING: NONNA LUCIA

Nonna Lucia’s Journey from Calabria to Canada

Nonna Lucia arrived in Canada on December 17, 1958.

She came from Vibo Valentia, a small town in Calabria, and spent nine long days on a ship crossing the Atlantic to Halifax. From there, she took a train all the way to Vancouver. She was only 17 years old, traveling alone, and very scared. On the train, she stayed close to other Italian immigrants who were also heading to Vancouver, just to feel a little safer.

Before she boarded the ship, her father — heartbroken to see his daughter leave — asked someone on the boat to look after her. She was so young, and the journey ahead was long and uncertain. That small gesture stayed with Lucia, a reminder of the love and worry her family carried as she stepped into a new life.

When she arrived, she didn’t work for three months. Then she found her first job — making luggage. At that time, she didn’t speak a word of English, but she learned little by little, and soon became very good at her work.

Later, she met her husband, a man from Treviso, and together they built a life and family in Canada. After nine years, her husband sent her and her son back to Italy to visit the family in Treviso. In December, as a surprise, he joined them there, and together they traveled to Calabria to see Lucia’s parents again.

She remembers that visit so vividly — it was December, there was snow on the ground, yet she saw a bright orange tree full of fruit, and she felt a deep sadness in her heart. She realized she never stopped thinking about the place where she was born.

Lucia’s favourite food is her nonna’s baked pasta. She still remembers how, as a young girl, they didn’t have a stove in the kitchen — she would prepare it over the fire outside, covering everything with carbonella. The flavour stayed with her all her life. Now, Nonna Lucia makes it for her family, passing down not just the recipe, but the memory and love behind it.

Over the years, Lucia’s courage and determination became the foundation of her family.

She raised three children, and today she is a proud grandmother and great-grandmother. Through her love, her cooking, and her stories, she has kept the Italian traditions and values alive in her home — reminding everyone that no matter where life takes you, your roots always remain a part of you.
Thank you for listening to Nonna Lucia’s story.

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