Photo above: Ralph with Eleanor O’Meara at Hoggs Hollow natural rink, Toronto   Part One There comes a time in every young person’s life when they find themselves at a crossroad, forced to make decisions about which journey to take. Sometimes it involves giving up what you know, love and trust for an unknown commodity. […]

A House Of Brothers.

In the Fall of 1967 when I was eighteen years old I joined the Zeta Psi fraternity at the University of Toronto. Forty-nine years later I can count almost half of the brothers pictured above as my closest, and as it has turned out, life-long friends. As a matter of interest, I am the pensive […]

James Franceschini, The man and his Passions.

In May 2012, The Italian Chamber of Commerce paid tribute to James Franceschini’s pioneering contributions in breaking new ground and creating opportunities for other Italian-Canadians to succeed in construction and other businesses in Canada. James Franceschini arrived in Toronto penniless in 1905 as a 15 year old boy. Through hard work he overcame many challenges […]

Enjoy Yourself – about my Italian grandfather, James Franceschini.

When a person achieves a positive defining moment in his or her life, it could be imagined that this person might pause to reflect upon the journey traveled to reach that moment. It is conceivable then, that on the night of September 26th 1953, James Franceschini might have reflected on the events of the day […]