Reminded of the past

Meet sisters Santina and Anna

By: Julie Achtermeier

Photos By: Ivy Cahigas

Published By: Best Version Media

For Santina and Anna, their arrival in Canada as immigrants in 1956 is not unlike the plight of many others who seek a new life in Canada. The family lived on a farm in Italy, and all of their food came from the land. Their mother, Yolanda, tended to the livestock and the fields while their father, Cataldo, worked hard to earn a small wage as a labourer in nearby Rome. It was a physically demanding life for the family. For generations, the land was rented to farmers and a significant portion of the crop harvest was paid to landlords as rent. The balance was used to feed the family, which they lived on until the next autumn. Some of the food was traded for necessary items like clothing, shoes and household items. "It was a hard life, and there was very little opportunity to change it," says Santina. "That's the reason many families left Italy. For a better future for their children."

At the time of their arrival, Anna was seven years old, and Santina was six months. The family arrived by ship with nothing but each other and hope for the future. Before being allowed to immigrate, their father, mother and both children went through rigorous background checks and medical exams. Particular attention was paid to immunization, such as Polio and Tuberculosis which was of great concern at the time. The family was also required to obtain a sponsor to ensure the family would

not be a burden to welfare services once they arrived. "It wasn't easy to immigrate back then," says Santina. "The government did thorough checks, and you couldn't come if you couldn't work." When they arrived, they lived with their aunt's family until they could save enough money to rent a home of their own. After two years, they had saved enough to buy a house. "Saving money to pay down the mortgage was our top priority," says Santina. "We were very frugal. We had to be. And we still are!"

Once they settled in Canada, their mother worked wherever she could, even for days or weeks at temporary jobs, just to make ends meet. She eventually landed full­time work cleaning rooms in a hotel. Their father began work immediately as a labourer and was able to put his skills to good use. Both of their parents came from a family of seven who all immigrated at the same time and lived close together in Toronto. Santina and Anna recall a happy childhood surrounded by family, even though they did not have much money. They played cards, monopoly and bingo, an Italian classic, and skipped rope outside. But there was no TV for many years. They spent a lot of time with the family enjoying family dinners and game nights, and even to this day, they have an annual picnic every summer to catch up and spend time with loved ones.

Santina and Anna have followed in their parents' footsteps and worked hard as they grew up. Santina knew she wanted to be an entrepreneur and also recognized she needed additional schooling to be successful. After attending college for a second time at 28 years old to gain the necessary skills to open a store, Santina opened a 􀀂 children's clothing store, Zero20Kids. The first location was in Rexdale in 1983 and a year later, moved it to Woodbridge. She joined forces with Anna in 1992, and the store has been expanding ever since.

The store is celebrating its 35th year and is the largest children's boutique in Ontario. They've had tremendous support from their husbands who have played an integral part in managing the construction projects for the store. The name of the store is a reflection of the range of sizes of clothing they carry: zero representing the size for babies and 20 being the largest size for preteens (approximately age 13). The store itself specializes in dressy/casual clothing for kids. It has the most extensive selection of formal wear, including outfits for baptisms, christenings, communion, flower girl and ring boy, confirmation/graduation (grade 8), bar/bat mitzvah, birthdays and any other occasion where formal attire is required. "Children dress differently for play, school and special occasions," Santina says. "The way we dress is a statement of how we feel and how we want to be viewed by others. It is a reflection of our inner selves."

The sisters purchase items from around the world and take into consideration the numerous cultural needs of their customers, who often come from great distances. "We treat everyone the same with respect and care," says Santina. "We respect everyone's opinion to dress differently."

The store has recently undergone a significant renovation so they could expand their boys' clothing department and introduce new merchandise. They have learned over the years that many stores don't cater to styles for boys. ''After 35 years, we know every brand and what families' need," Santina laughs. They are also introducing e-commerce on their website so that families can also order online.

The Turrin and Mariani families are also very active in the community, donating generously to fundraising initiatives for a variety of causes. They create gift baskets that can be raffled off at fundraising events, and they also gift wrap in store for a small, one-dollar donation. Until this year, all proceeds from the gift wrapping went to the Sick Kids burn unit, a cause close to Santina's heart as she suffered third-degree burns as a five-year-old child and Sick Kids saved her life. They have raised over $20,000 for Sick Kids over the years. This year, they are directing their funds to the new Mackenzie Health Center in hopes of purchasing an incubator for the neo-natal unit. So far, they have donated $10,000 with a goal of $40,000 before the doors open in 2020. The store also gives clothing with minor blemishes to families in need and dresses children for fashion show fundraisers.

Through the years, Santina and Anna have never forgotten their roots and what brought their family to Canada. They actively teach their children and grandchildren about the past, their ancestors and are pleasantly surprised that the children love hearing stories about the way people used to live. "Kids these days are often on devices," Santina says. "They should spend more time learning about their family's history. It's entertaining and builds character." According to Santina, "every new generation has the benefit of what the previous generation built for them. Children need to know the sacrifices our elders endured, to be thankful and hopefully pass on the knowledge and lessons to their own children."