Photograph of Roger Boccini-Nincheri and others, Mount Rolland, Venice, 1949 - solo in inglese

Photograph of Roger Boccini-Nincheri (second from the right) onboard the freighter Mount Rolland, Venice, 1949. His grandmother Berta is standing second from the left. Roger was the only passenger onboard, as he began his journey to reunite with his mother and brother in Montreal, QC.

The Boccinis and their youngest son emigrated to Canada in 1937, leaving Roger behind with his grandparents. In Canada, the Boccinis settled in Vancouver, where Alberto became a leading member of the local Italian-Canadian community. He was arrested and interned as a threat to the Canadian state in 1940. Boccini contracted tuberculosis while interned at Camp Petawawa and was released as a result in March 1942. He died within two years of his diagnosis in December 1944. His wife moved to Montreal where she eventually married Gabriele Nincheri, the son of artist and former internee Guido Nincheri. She was reunited with her son Roger, when he immigrated to Canada in 1949.