KELOWNA CANADIAN ITALIAN CLUB
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Le prime famiglie italiane di Kelowna 

The first Italian families of Kelowna

John Risso and Antonia (Toni) Russo

6/26/2023

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Picture
​John was the first born of four children to Gaspar Risso and Inez Hewer.  The children: John (1934), Alan 1(935), Reta (1936) and Rhoda (1938) were all born in Kelowna, BC.  John has lived in Kelowna all his life.  He went to Mission Creek School (corner of Benvoulin and KLO Roads) from grades one to eight.  For two of those years, John went to school at seven a.m. to light the wood stove fires in three classrooms and one teacher’s room.  The wood and kindling were split and put into the wood boxes the day before.  He was paid five dollars a month, not bad considering a bottle of Orange Crush from Mugford’s Store cost six cents and a pack of cigarettes was thirty cents.  Yes, students smoked in the teacher room, after they had all the stoves going.  After graduating from Kelowna Senior High (corner of Harvey Ave and Richter street) in 1952, he found employment at S.M. Simpson Saw Mill.  

Antonia immigrated to Canada from Italy in 1951, at the age of thirteen.  She first lived in Golden, BC, then Winfield, BC, and finally Oyama, BC.  She is the first born of nine children to Geniale Russo and Maria Filice.  Toni and John were married in Kelowna in 1958.  They have three children: Cathy (Ted Cundy) 1959, Robert (Linda Nicholson) 1962 and David (Nathalie Mehl) 1964.

John and his family operated “Casorso Road Produce,” a fruit and vegetable stand, for about forty years on property that grandpa Vincenzo and Annetta Risso had purchased in parcels, starting in 1913.  The property is now home to Green Square Town Houses and the Vert Condo developments.

Contributed by John Risso
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    Research and photos of First Families by Don Rampone

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The Kelowna Canadian Italian Club acknowledges that our clubhouse is situated on the beautiful unceded traditional territory of the Syilx/Okanagan people. Who, for thousands of years, have lived in harmony with nature and continue to this day to offer us so much culture and understanding.
  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • About KCIC and Our History
    • President's Message
    • Vice President's Message
    • Executive and Directors
    • Membership
    • Volunteers
  • NEWS & ARTICLES
    • The Grapevine Newsletter
    • THE ITALIAN GARDENER
    • Kelowna's First Families
    • Pietro's Spazio Sport
    • Book Reviews
    • Mangia Mangia Recipes
  • WHAT'S HAPPENING AT KCIC
    • 2023 Calendar
    • Club Happenings >
      • CASORSO DOCUMENTARY
      • Italian Wines of the Okanagan
      • Museum Exhibit
      • KCIC Dinners & Special Events
      • La Scuola Italiana - Italian Language
      • La Nostra Famiglia Italiana >
        • Our Celebration of Italian Heritage >
          • Museum Exhibit
          • Il Nostro Lascito Legacy Project
          • CASORSO DOCUMENTARY
        • Upcoming NFI Events
        • Past NFI Events >
          • NFI - Spaghetti
          • NFI - Bisnonno
          • NFI - L'Acqua
          • NFI - Terrazzo
          • NFI - Guerra
          • NFI - Lilia
          • Coming to Pier 21
          • Dalla Terra
          • Dialetti!
          • Sveva Caetani
          • Emilio Picariello
        • Family Tree Workshops
        • Between Neighbours
      • Giuseppe's Cafe
      • La Bella Tavola - Cooking Classes
      • Bocce
      • KCIC Library
    • Our 55th Birthday!
  • More From Us
    • CONTACT US
    • Clubhouse Rentals
    • 50th ANNIVERSARY >
      • 50th Anniversary
      • Mercato
      • Dinner & Dance Gala
    • Miss Kelowna Cdn. Italian Club
    • Calendar Page
  • Take Out Dinners