Mario Cerminara and Sharon Chouinard

Sharon, Mario, Lisa and Vince Cerminara

Mario was born in September, 1939, to parents Umberto Cerminara and Chiara Fontera, in SevelIi, Sila, Crotone, Calabria, Italy. His brothers are Francesco, Vittorio and Geno.  He has one sister, Rosa Maria. The Cerminara family moved to Edmonton in 1953.

Sharon Chouinard was born in May, 1945, to parents Peter Chouinard and Agnes Edna Minns, in Edmonton, Alberta. She had no siblings. Mario and Sharon were married in Edmonton, in 1966.

On June, 1967 Mario and Sharon made the decision to leave Edmonton for a warmer climate.  Mario had made a trip though Kelowna, BC, in 1962, and was impressed with the area. Mario and his brother, Francesco, made plans to move to Kelowna and open a Pizza shop, in the George Tinling complex of buildings, where Mission Park is now located. Their business proposal fell through, so Mario took a job with the City of Kelowna engineering department, where he remained until his retirement in 2004.

Sharon was a hairdresser and worked for over 50 years at various places such as Sutherland Hills seniors home. For many years, Mario and Sharon enjoyed gardening, preserving hundreds of jars of fruit and vegetables from their Parsons Road home. In 1958, Mario bought his first guitar, and spent many years playing for local orchestras. For twenty years, Mario was a member of the Knights of Columbus choir, under the direction of Eric Buckley. They sang to audiences in many parts of British Columbia. Joining the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club in 1967, he was very proud to travel with the Club to Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the 1979 International Folkfest and to Expo 86 in Vancouver, BC.

They left their Parsons Rd house in 2007 and have spent the following years condo living. Through the Parkinson’s Seniors Centre, they have enjoyed hiking and biking.

Sharon and Mario had two children: Vince, who passed away at age 23, and Lisa who married Jim Strachan.  They have two grandchildren.

Contributed by D E Rampone, Co-Chair, Kelowna Canadian Italian Club Heritage Committee.