August 26, 2011:
Map Source: "Italians in Toronto" by John Zucchi, page 12,
McGill-Queen's Studies in Ethnic History, ISBN 0-7735-0653-5, 1988
This is an excellent book which details the Italian Diaspora as it occurs in Toronto and
has relevance for Italian settlement in the Ottawa area.



Arch on Preston Street, Ottawa, Canada, announcing the entrance to Little Italy
Little Italy in Ottawa, Canada




An Italian portrait painter worked in Bytown / Ottawa in 1850. He was possibly commissioned by the Roman Catholic Church
and would appear to be the first Italian to come to Ottawa.

Here is a death record for Signor G. Fassio, Portrait Painter, in 1850.
Bytown, January 2, 1851
Burial of Signor (Gerome) Fassio, portrait painter and native of Rome, Italy, who died the day before yesterday, 
aged about 60 yrs. (actually born in Rome in 1789)
Witnesses: Dr. Lacroix & Philibert Bastien
Source: DROUIN Records for Notre Dame Cathedral, Sussex Drive, Ottawa. (ancestry.ca)


Painting by Signor G. Fassio of Amélia Berthelet, c. 1835
Source: National Gallery of Canada, Fassio Collection


March 25, 2011:

St. Anthony`s Church
Booth and Gladstone Avenue, Ottawa, Canada
Built in 1913, as the National Italian Church



May 7, 2004:

The following heads of households appear in the 1881 Census for the City of Ottawa. They were all born in Italy.

BAIGI, Frances	born 1844	M	Italian	Bir:	Ital
Cen:	Ont	Carlet	Ottawa
BEZANO, Alfred	born 1836	M	Italian	Bir:	Ital
Cen:	Ont	Carlet	Ottawa
COURSOLLE, Jacob	born 1840	M	Italian	Bir:	Ital
Cen:	Ont	Carlet	Ottawa
GRECAU, Raphael	born 1850	M	Italian	Bir:	Ital
Cen:	Ont	Carlet	Ottawa (Greco)
LAUREN, Joseph	born 1854	M	Italian	Bir:	Ital
Cen:	Ont	Carlet	Ottawa
LA MOTHE, Hemo G.	 born 1851	M	French	Bir:	Ital
Cen:	Ont	Carlet	Ottawa (Lamothe)
MUSCARDINO, Stephano	born 1854	M	Italian	Bir:	Ital
Cen:	Ont	Carlet	Ottawa
VARALO, Johnny	born 1839	M	Italian	Bir:	Ital
Cen:	Ont	Carlet	Ottawa (Mr. Varalo's occupation is given as Musician).

The above folks were early arrivals from Italy. A large influx came to this region
during the decade prior to World War I. An excellent book which documents
Italian migration to Canada is On The Move by Bruno Ramirez, ISBN 0-7710-7283-X

Italian labourers in the nineteenth century worked seasonally in
France, Switzerland and Austria. By the 1880's, transatlantic steamer fares
were cheaper than train fares to France and wages were higher in America.
It became worthwhile financially for single Italian men to work in Canada
for part of the year (sojourners) and return to Italy during the winter.
Soon, family migration was increasingly important.

In 1913, Ottawa's Italian community, which numbered about 150 families in
the Rochester, Booth and Preston Street area, built St. Anthony's Church.
It was a National Church for Italian Catholics. In 1936 it became a territorial
church and was opened to all ethnic groups (including many Irish parishioners).
However, it has remained the center of the Italian community in Ottawa.
... Al




February 4, 2005:

Nick D'Angelo is researching his Liberatore, Disipio, D'Angelo and Perseo 
ancestors from Pretoro, Chieti, Italy
February 8, 2005:
Hi Al,  

You can add a link to the Ottawa Italian Canadian newspaper, Il Postino,   
with a link from Ottawa Italians on your site. 

Thanks 

Angelo Filoso
Executive Editor
Il Postino


March 26, 2011:

Here is a list of approximately 40 Italian-speaking families who arrived early in the Ottawa area:
Source: Drouin Records at ancestry.ca for St. Anthony's Church

  

    
Early Italian families in the Ottawa / Gatineau areas

      



      
ARNONE
      

      

      

    

      
BARBARO
      

      

      

    

      
di BARTOLO
      

      

      

    

      
BOLLO
      

      

      

    

      
BOSSIO
      

      

      

    

      
BOVA
from Sicily in 1884
      
Obituary of Frank BOVA, 1943
    

	  

      
BRIGLIO
      

      

      

    

      
BUCCINO
      

      

      

    

      
CARPENTI
      

      

      

    

      
CARDILLO
      

      

      

    

      
CASTIGLIA
      

      

      

    

      
CASAGRANDE
      

      

      

    

      
COSENZO
      

      

      

    

      
CUCCARO
      

      

      

    

      
DEFALCO
      

      

      

    

      
DiANGELO
      

      

      

    

      
DILABIO
      

      

      

    

      
DISIPIO
      

      

      

    

      
FERRONE
      

      

      

    

      
GALLA
      

      

      

    

      
GAZZOLA
      

      

      

    

      
GERMANO
      

      

      

    

      
GRAZIANO
      

      

      

    

      
GRECO
      

      

      

    

      
GUIDO
      

      

      

    

      
GUSELLA
      

      

      

    

      
GUZZO
      
from San Giovanni, Italy in 1896
      
Obituary of Frank Guzzo
      
Source: Ottawa Citizen, Sept. 3, 1952
    

      
KUDZIA
      

      

      

    

      
LIBERATORE
      

      

      

    

      
LICARI
      

      

      

    

      
LOMBARDO
      

      

      

    

      
LUPIANO
      

      

      

    

      
MEDAGLIA
      

      

      

    

      
MENCHINI
      

      

      

    

      
MISERICORDIA
      

      

      

    

      
PANTALONE
      

      

      

    

      
PERSEO
      

      

      

    

      
 PRESTA, Carmino
      
from Sicily
      
later spelling PRESS or PREST
      

    


      
PUGLIESE
      

      

      

    

      
RUFFO
      

      

      

    
      
TEGANO
      

      

      

    

      
VENTURA
      

      

      

    

      
ZAPPA
      

      

      

    

      
ZITO
      

      

      

    



In 1986, a petition was forwarded to Ottawa City Council to rename Preston Street.
Source: Ottawa Citizen Digital Archives, February 11, 1986
article by Tony Lofaro



Source: Ottawa Citizen Digital Archives, September 23, 1957



Names for Search Engine: ARNONE, BASSI, LUIGI, CURUZZI, CARAVATTA, Di GIACOMO, ESPOSITO, FORTE, IACOVITTI, FILOSO


  



March 27, 2011:

Source for the following: Planted by Flowing Water, page 117

   


August 29,2011:

1982 World Cup Soccer Celebration on Preston Street.
Keyword: Silvano Musca
Source: Ottawa Citizen, July 12, 1982