The Porcupine Dante Club Careers in Timmins, ON

The Porcupine Dante Club had its humble beginnings in 1938 when it was called The Sons of Italy which was part of Sons of Italy chapters around North America. Once World War II ended and Adolf Hitler had ravaged Europe, many Europeans made their way to Canada for a new start. Italians came to Canada for a better life as they were told that the Canadian streets were paved with gold. In the 1940’s after the war, the Mascioli family, which ran a construction company in Timmins, needed strong bodies to work on its sites and many young Italian men came over. They came here looking for jobs to make money so they could bring their parents or their wives to live in Canada. The idea was also to make enough money to be well-off and return to the “old country”. Several have returned on trips since then but many now call Timmins their home.For many, the transition was a difficult one. Adapting to a new language, a new culture and a new way of life was not easy. Some grew homesick, missing their relatives and friends, thousands of miles across the ocean. One purpose of the club would be to help these immigrants learn the new language and assist them with paperwork.