Interview with Andrea Grimes

Andrea Grimes (born in Windsor on September 16, 1949) speaks about her family and their experiences in Windsor, ON. Grime's maternal grandfather, Luigi Meconi, was born on March 28, 1893 in Faleria, Italy. Luigi came to Canada in 1909 at age 16. Luigi served in the Canadian Expeditionary Forces during World War I. He was then interned at Camp Petawawa during World War II. Luigi had several occupations, including court interpreter, running a post office, a notary public, helping his brother, Mariano, in the winemaking business, running a travel agency, and running a grocery store. Andrea's maternal grandmother, Emilia, started a restaurant in the family's home (the old Scott family homestead) called the Rose Garden Restaurant, while Luigi was interned. Andrea's mother, Claire, married a man of Irish descent named Vere who served in the army and worked in the hospitality industry at the Prince Edward Hotel. Andrea talks about her role in writing the Impronte book and creating the Impronte exhibit and her experiences talking to people who did not want to share their memories about the time period of the internment. Andrea concludes by speaking about objects she brought with her which once belonged to her grandfather, including two hand-crafted boxes, carved by her grandfather during his internment and her grandfather's walking cane.