The Women of Steel project pays tribute to the Italian immigrant women of Montreal’s first generation who dedicated their lives to the textile industry, particularly in the Chabanel, St-Urbain and St-Viateur street areas. These women, essential to both the industry and their families, faced arduous working conditions. Despite their substantial economic, social, and cultural contributions, their roles have gone largely unacknowledged.
Arriving in Montreal with limited economic opportunities, many Italian women sought employment in textile and garment factories to support their families. For these women, who often left rural, less-industrialized parts of Italy, factory life was both challenging and transformative. While facing relentless work hours, low pay, and minimal worker rights, they forged new identities, adapted to the North American work environment, and maintained their Italian traditions.
The workplace presented these women with both obstacles and opportunities. While abuses such as wage discrimination and psychological pressure were common, the factories became spaces for solidarity and friendship. Amid exploitation, they supported each other, sharing their lives and hopes, and gradually integrating into Quebec society.
The impact of these women extended beyond the factory walls, shaping the Italian-Canadian community’s values and fostering economic stability for future generations. Their contributions helped redefine the role of women in their families and communities, as they balanced their identities as wives, mothers, and workers, contributing in their own ways to a stronger, more cohesive community.
The Women of Steel Project began in February 2021, aspiring to memorialize these women through public art, such as murals, statues, portraits, photographs, and documentaries. The first phase concluded with the unveiling of Les Femmes d’Acier mural on October 18, 2023, at St-Simon Apôtre Park, in what is still referred to as Montreal’s Garment District, thanks to a partnership between the Tyxna Art Collective and numerous community organizations. More phases are planned, including additional artwork and a commemorative statue.
With community support, as well as participation in events like AccentiFest at the University of Calabria in 2023 and New York’s Triangle Fire Memorial, the project has fostered international connections and gathered historical testimonies. Through this collective effort, the Women of Steel Project seeks to ensure that the legacy of these pioneering women endures as a testament to their resilience, contribution, and inspiration for future generations.
The Women of Steel Project stands as a powerful tribute to Montreal’s immigrant textile and garment workers, honouring their resilience, sacrifices, and lasting contributions to the community. By capturing their stories through art and public memorials, the project celebrates the strength and solidarity of these women in the face of hardship. This initiative not only preserves the memory of these pioneering women but, as future phases unfold, it will inspire generations to recognize and value the enduring impact of immigrant women on Montreal’s cultural and economic fabric.
Testimonials from Some Women of Steel
I arrived in February 1957, married by proxy, barely knowing my husband. As soon as I arrived, I went to work in a factory on Saint Laurent, making wedding dresses. There was an Italian woman working with me who helped me a lot, perhaps out of pity. I worked piecework. Later, I moved to a lingerie factory on Liège Street. We were good, and we didn’t complain too much. Once, I stood up to a boss because I didn’t accept how he treated me. My goal was to make sure my daughters never had to do the same work. I worked hard to ensure for them a better future. I am proud.
– Edda Cimaglia
Just a week after my arrival from Italy, I went to work at the Parktown Manufacturing Plant on Saint-Laurent and Duluth. To me, it looked like hell… and I cried in secret, wondering what I had done to end up there. It’s a long story.
– Vincenza Fontana
I worked in the factories for 35 years. I sweated, suffered injustices, but always held my head high. I’m a strong woman and always stood out as an exemplary sewing machine operator. I worked for Peerless, which still exists today.
– Mariannina Spinato
I arrived on December 8, 1951, from Duronia. I worked for 17 years on Molson Street, cutting threads. I wanted to work in women’s fashion and stayed in it for 40 years. I couldn’t leave my seven-year-old daughter, so I brought her with me all day. She also learned to cut threads from the clothes. I knew nothing about sewing; I learned to make clothes and create patterns in the factory, without ever going to school. It was not easy for me and my family. When payday came, it was never the amount I was supposed to get.
– Lucia Beltrocco
I started working at 15, having to leave school to help my family. I made many sacrifices, but I made it. I would have wanted a different life, but that’s how it went.
– Rosalba Matteo Stinziani
At twenty I left my beloved Italy to immigrate to Canada, arriving on August 19, 1967. On August 22, I started working in a large clothing factory on Verville. I was shy and felt unprepared, but I found the courage to start. As the day went by, I noticed that almost all the workers were Italian, recently emigrated. We became friends, friendships that have lasted to this day. We changed jobs and factories, but always with honour and pride.
– Rosaria Cianciullo Santella
I arrived on June 4, 1965, from a small town in Molise. I had never worked before. A week later, I started working in a factory on Chabanel, and then on Saint-Urbain. I worked in factories until I was 58, spending 26 years in the same factory. It was a nightmare, but I endured as long as I could, despite the piecework and humiliating treatment.
– Linda Berardo
My clearest memory is when I looked for a job by myself. In finding work, I also found Italian bosses. For me, it was the worst experience.
– Rosa Aiello Valente
I experienced factory work as a student. I still remember the image of women with their heads bowed down on the sewing machine, watched over by the boss like a hunting dog. A project like this was truly needed: the courage, toil, and strength of immigrant women must be recognized.
– Ida Fanzolato
These life testimonials represent precious voices of sacrifice, resilience, and dignity, paying homage to generations of women who, with courage and determination, worked in Montreal’s factories to build a better future for their families and the community.
Margherita M Morsella is a lawyer, activist and writer. She is the 2020 winner of the Justice Pro-Bono Paris-Quebec Award. morsellamargherita@gmail.com
