15-year-old youngest canal worker to die

Every death of a canal worker was tragic, but the story of young Antonio Collini must be one of the saddest.

Antonio was born in Silvi, Teramo, in the Abruzzo region of central Italy in March 1912. Nine months later, his father, Benedetto Collini, left for Canada. At that time Antonio was the youngest of six children. Maria, his mother, brought Antonio and three of his siblings to Canada via New York, leaving Naples on the ship Minnekahda on April 30, 1921. His parents would have three more children after the family was reunited in May 1921.

For eight years Benedetto had been alone in Canada, working to save money to bring his family from Italy. During that time, he had a farm on Arthur Street in Grantham Township (now St. Catharines). At the time his wife and children joined him he was living at 46 North St.

By 1927, Benedetto was working on the new canal construction. Young Antonio, at age 15, got his first job as a water boy, supplying workers with cold drinks in the summer heat. He earned 15 cents an hour for his labours.

At least one account tells that he proudly bought a new suit with his earnings.

But then, on July 26, 1927, he fell 24 metres into the construction site at March 20, 1912 (Silvi, Teramo, Abruzzo, Italy) July 26, 1927 (Section 2, Lock 2, Grantham Twp.)

fall from lock wall water boy, Steel Gates Co. Lock 2. Somehow he tripped from the top of the lock wall. Two crane operators on the opposite side of the lock saw the young lad fall, fracturing his skull and dying instantly.

Apparently several workmen “ran through the fields” to tell his mother. At the time she was “killing chickens for dinner at the family’s Port Weller farm” as related in a Standard article written on the 70th anniversary of his death, July 21, 1997. A large funeral was held from the family’s home to St. Catherine of Alexandria Church (now the Cathedral) for a Catholic mass. A graveside service then took place before Antonio was interred in Victoria Lawn Cemetery.

According to the family’s story, he was buried in his new suit.

But Antonio’s story does not end there. Five years later, in February 1932, a fire broke out at the family’s Arthur Street farm. Benedetto ran three miles to get help from the nearest fire station but help was too late. The house, barn, and farm animals were all lost, as well as all of the family photographs including all existing pictures of young Antonio.

Of Antonio’s three younger siblings who were born in Canada, the young- est was Pio Sabatino, also called Hugh Collini. He was just a toddler when his older brother died, but at age 13 he decided to rename himself Antonio, or Tony, in honour of his deceased brother.

Many people will still remember the affable Tony Collini (1926-2011) who sold vegetables door-to-door for several decades, first from a handpulled cart, then from a horse and wagon, and eventually from a 1948 Chevrolet panel truck affectionately nicknamed The Blue Goose.

Tony’s first-born son, and then his grandson, were also named Antonio or “Tony.” So, in many ways Antonio Collini will not be forgotten. — This article is part of a series highlighting the men whose lives were lost in the construction of the Welland Ship Canal. The Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial Task Force is a volunteer group established to design, finance, and build a memorial to recognize workers who were killed while building the Welland Ship Canal. For more information about the memorial or to contribute to the project visit: www.stcatharines. ca/CanalWorkersMemorial.